What We Can All Learn from Tip Employees

Decades ago - when I first moved to Los Angeles, I held many a waiter and front desk position in various restaurants, hotels and private country clubs in the county.

I was trained on how important it was to offer my service with a smile and enthusiasm.  "The bigger the smile," I was told by numerous supervisors, "the bigger your tip."

Today, at the other end of the spectrum, I find myself dining out a lot...entertaining clients, vendors, business associates during various meetings for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Of course, I pick up the tab, which means I'm also the one who leaves the tip.

And because I frequent certain establishments (specifically in the Burbank area), many of the waiters and waitresses know who I am.  However, I notice that they only smile at me when they serve me or my given-party.  On certain days, if I am served by a colleague of theirs, their colleague smiles as me, but they do not.

When this happens, I have thought, "Geeze, I thought that waitress (or waiter) was a really nice person.  But they were only smiling at me to get a good tip."

That said, I always give a good tip...even if I am served in a less-worthy manner (or even without a smile from my own server).....because I've "been there," and I get it.

But now I'm thinking:  What if we ALL smiled and each other....and did for one another in the highest regard on a daily basis?  What if we treated each other as if we were going to "tip" one another for our kind demeanor?

What a different world it would be.

Everyone would be walking around smiling at each other and while there would not be any "tips," per say, the result would be even more profitable:  

If we all "pretended" that every smile we gave would be returned with a "monetary tip," we would, in the process, be blessed if not financially, but physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually...on so many levels.  Because ultimately a smile can work more wonders in our lives...for the health....not only of our bodies...but for the health of our minds and our spirit.

In turn, as well, we would be more generous with others, and most likely end up "paying it forward" in countless additional ways that we would not even be able to measure; and then, in double return, we would reap the "benefits" of our generosity, ten-fold.

In other words, the best way to live your A-Life, is to do for others when there is absolutely nothing in it for you.

Then watch how you start to receive EVERYTHING you've ever wanted.