Today I experienced the power of somone who was a positive presence person (PPP). PPP(people) are able to bring people to almost immediately into a positive state of mind.
I walked into a corner store to by a can of pepsi. The young person behind the counter was dressed in a singlet and shorts, was covered in tatoos and had a number of piercings on various appendages. My immediate expectation was that I could expect only a very basic level of customer service. And at worst I could experience a certain amount of contempt.
I was wrong. Completely, totally and utterly wrong.
It started when he served the lady in front of me. He was helpful and smiled and wished here a nice day. I found that my expectation of service was beginning to change. But, she was far more attractive than me and I am a not overly attractive middle aged man.
I was wrong.
It was even better than I thought. Somehow this young man made my purchase of a can of pepsi into one the highlights of my morning. It wasn’t just what he said or how he served me. It wasn’t what he did in the end that made a mundane task into something special.
It was his attitude to life that changed everything. He was a prime example of a PPP. He is an influencer, a leader who is able to change his world.
PPP’s do some of the following things regularly:
- They change their world, they are not limited by their present context.
- They change other people’s world – they are a positive influence and are able to change the attitudes of people around them.
- They don’t worry about their present circumstances – they know that they are not the permanent thing in their life. Attitudes remain with us far longer.
- They are not lmited by their present circumstances. Hope is a key element of being a PPP. It is a key component of being a whole person, living without hope is living a half life in which we survive with a part of our humanity missing.
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