I
went to get coffee one morning before work, and the Dunkin Doughnuts lady
handed me my coffee and bagel and said, “here you go beautiful.” I left
thinking that was so kind of her to compliment me, but I was skeptical. I
wanted to see if she was consistent with her compliments. I went back, but this
time not dressed for work, I had rolled straight out of bed. “Hi beautiful,
have a nice day.” I thought to myself, thank you, I will have a good day.
I went back a third time, and she continued to have positive words of
affirmation. Her kindness felt more than just good customer service, it felt
genuine.
The
power of our words is sometimes overlooked in our everyday communication
exchanges. We can use our words to build each other up or tear each other down.
There were two non-spoken components that I experienced in my interactions with
the Dunkin Doughnuts lady. One, she didn’t know my experience or any hardships
that I may be facing in that moment. Her words reminded me of my value when it
seemed to be lost in life’s responsibilities. Second, she was giving her
compliments for free. She wasn’t looking for something in return for her
kindness. It is rare that we encounter this unconditional type of communication
with no expectation. This was a nice reminder that our motivation to share
words of affirmation should not be self-rewarding.
I
decided I should go back and tell this Dunkin Doughnuts lady of the impact her
compliments had on me. I wanted to thank her for reminding me of the power of
words. Unfortunately, I went back a few weeks later and she was no longer
there. One way that I can return her kindness is to pay it forward by using my
words of affirmation to help others remember their worth and value.
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