Ain’t Worth Complaining - Part 2

Yesterday I was sitting in the chair at the hair salon I have frequented for the past 15 years. The same woman has cut my hair the entire time so as you might expect we know each other and our respective businesses relatively well.

When I asked her how she was doing, I got the same “I can’t complain and it wouldn’t do any good if I did anyhow!” response I got two weeks ago that I posted about on June 26.

I think it is interesting that I’ve heard this phrase twice in two weeks.  I’m excited as I head into this week to see how many more people I can get this response from. Pretty scary I think, that people go around with that type of attitude.

Even if you are feeling that way, in a business setting that feeling should be kept to yourself or between family members.  I certainly would never utter those words in front of a customer or potential customer, ever.  It shows a less than positive attitude and that there is an underlying cynicism that belies a successful business person.

As we head into Monday what is your attitude like? Imagine if your mental focus is on how you can’t complain, and even if you did it wouldn’t do any good anyway? 

If the spirit moves you to be cute with a response to the inquiry into ‘how you are doing” try saying something like, “if things got any better I couldn’t stand it,” or “outstanding.”

That type of response will surely turn some heads and also get your focus turned toward the truly outstanding things that are happening in your business and life.

There has to be more to happiness than this

For the first time in at least 10 years I stopped at an Arby’s fast food restaurant the other day. It was the only option in site and I was between appointments. I actually found something decent and relatively healthy to eat, a chicken salad wrap. With it I got an iced tea.

On the cup from which I was drinking the iced tea was this quote:

“Happiness is only a curly fry away.”

I’m all for making it easy for us to be happy and I like curly fries as much as the next guy (I refrained from buying the value meal that included the curly fries though). Bringing happiness to someone through curly fries is okay, I guess. But I’d focus on something a little more healthy, personally fulfilling, and worldly.

Buy, hey, that’s just me!

Ain’t worth complaining about

Walked into a former prospect the other day. I asked him how it was going and got this very common response:

“I can’t complain and it wouldn’t do any good if I did, anyhow!”

I can’t imagine going through my day with that type of attitude. And, this guy owns a retail business. No wonder why revenue and
cash flow was at all time low when we met last winter. Doesn’t seem as though much has changed. Oh, well.