A Kick in the Attitude: An Energizing Approach to Recharge your Team, Work, and Life

Chapter 19. A Kick in the Attitude Principle #17: Attitude Is Like Chalk Dust—It Gets on Everything You Touch

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

—Albert Schweitzer

I believe that we are rewarded and promoted in life, and often beyond measure, when we serve and treat others with excellence. Excellence is that extra special quality that says, "We care enough to do the best we can with what we have."

It shows we are committed to providing the best for ourselves, and our family, friends, and customers.

All of us are in the business of serving, whether we work behind a desk, answer phones, travel, sell, preach, clean floors, or educate.

Note

Excellence is doing the best you can with where you are, what you have, and who you are, while always being willing to grow and improve.

If you hate what you do, who you are, or where you are, I've got news—it shows. If you lack excellence, you will always sell yourself and others short. When you instead provide great service to others without taking advantage of them for personal gain, your rewards will be the best that life has to offer.

The online retailer Zappos.com prides itself on its devotion to customer service, describing itself as a service company that happens to sell a huge variety of shoes and accessories. CEO Tony Hsieh started a customer service team at Zappos.com to ensure that a response was granted to every customer e-mail. The company functions through ...