Note from Mary...

To make my way through high school and college, I did a variety of jobs from fast food and ice cream stands, to cleaning a bar and rest rooms every morning after the "night before" dancing crowd had left, to running the cash register and stocking the freezer isle at a grocery store, to waiting tables, tending bar, delivering drinks in the fanciest upscale restaurant and lounge in our college town.

Out of all of the jobs, I think that waiting tables was the most emotionally rewarding and defeating each and every night. I wish everyone would have to wait on people for a month to find out just how many variations on humanity there can be.

With one table you could work your legs off running back and forth to please your customers' every disgruntled need, want and command. There would be other tables whose requests were easy to understand and handle, followed with genuine appreciation for the care you gave them. Those people usually gave the most lavish tips. While the people you bent over backwards for, often left nothing for your care and efforts.

One thing you learn the first day of waiting tables is that you can never tell what kind of tip people will give you from the way they dress or act. The best bet was to just show up with a great attitude and do your very best to be of service, regardless.

Because I have such a deep appreciation for those who serve food, I like to be a good customer for my waiters and waitresses, even when they are sometimes not very efficient in handling our order. It happens.

We tip 20% and round up every time we are delighted with our service and, because we appreciate the nature of the job, it is a rare occasion that we tip below 18% for anyone. Anyone can be having a bad day, and I just don't believe I need to add to that with disdain or by withholding my humanity.

Since we've been on a Make A Difference mission in our life's work, we have also added our own little impromptu Acknowledgment Ceremony at the end of every meal out, to let the people who have taken care of us for the evening know that they matter and are appreciated.

This past week, it was a young man about 6 ft. tall who waited on us. I found him to be quite excellent, given that it was a Friday night and the restaurant was packed with people having to stand and wait to get seated.

It never ceases to amaze me, or emotionally affect me, that each and every time I acknowledge someone with an "I Make A Difference®" wristband, that they are visibly moved by what has just happened... and generally respond with, "No one has ever acknowledged me before or told me that I have made a difference."

I find this extremely motivating... to do even more!

I'm not gonna lie... it is my dream that one day I will be out and about running errands and I will see or overhear you acknowledging someone with an "I Make A Difference®" wristband or blue ribbon sticker... I'm just sayin'... it's my dream.

Reaching out...

Co-Creator of the Acknowledgment Movie
makeadifference.com/Acknowledgment

PS... PLAN NOW to get Make A Positive Difference WEEK Program on your school's agenda for the very first part of this new year and you WILL see a synergizing effect over the entire population.

Students who learn to acknowledge others will feel good about themselves. When we teach them "how" to safely and effectively become more authentic through learning how to genuinely acknowledge others during a WEEK long experiment in human kindness ... they WILL do outstanding when it comes to being able to relax and "think" when taking their tests. Why? Because in an emotionally calm state of mind, the LIGHT IS ON, and somebody is in there doing their work!

PPS... If you haven't already watched my newest Video Training Series for Educators, I hope you will grab a cup of tea and come join me in discovering just how DO-able this program is for your school. Click Here and watch the Education Video and then click the UTRAIN® Program for Education graphic below the video.

Mary Robinson Reynolds, M.S., Educational Psychologist, Author and Producer of the world renowned videos - MakeADifferenceMovie.com and AcknowledgmentMovie.com - both amassing over 10 million views within a few short months of their releases - spent many years as a classroom teacher K-8 and then as a counselor K-12. She parlayed her phenomenal success with youth at-risk into her programs for business leaders, entrepreneurs and managers on how to be energetically effective in leading improvement in their organizations through the power of Team Synergy and MasterMinding. She has written six books, developed UTrain Programs that anyone can take into their place of work to build organization wide Team Synergy, and has presented to over 20,000 people in two year period in every major city in the U.S. To learn more go to: makeadifference.com