My mother was raised as an Orthodox Jew. In keeping with that tradition, she starts every day with a prayer, Modeh Ani. This prayer of thankfulness sets the tone for her day.Mom may not know it, but setting the tone, setting expectations, is a wonderful creative tool. I use it all the time. I walk into a client's office, copy in hand, and say, "This is great! You're gonna love it!" I say that because I believe it, but also because I know it will help shape their view as they read.
This past Friday, I was reminded of how important setting positive expectations can be. I went to ACME, a store that makes customized T-shirts, and worked with the staff to design my BlogHer shirt. While they were finalizing the design and printing the shirt, I went for a walk.
This is the text I got about 30 minutes later: Get excited! Your T-shirt is done at ACME and it looks great ... see ya soon!
You know how I felt the moment I read that? Excited.
This week, let's set a positive tone. A good way to start? Follow Mom's lead. Be thankful.* It's Monday, and we're here to enjoy it!
*Yes, I do remember that I'm the person who was recently pushing the idea of an "ungratitude journal." Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
I'm learning about the Jewish Women's Archive's "Jewish Women in the Civil Rights Movement" curriculum. Get excited! Great learning to come! Awesome stuff!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. I like to set the tone for my day by dancing around he kitchen.
ReplyDeleteI journal almost every morning, andn try to end with some version of what a great day it's going to be.
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