This friend is a bit pessimistic. He is always looking at the "down" side of his day. Staying upbeat in his company is really hard for me at times. Most times, I can keep from letting his mood affect me. Today, however, I really felt tired of listening to the "down" side.
This fellow depends on tips for a major part of his daily income. Tips, as most of us know, are pure luck. You can bend over backwards with some customers and get nothing. Other customers comment that if you "take good care" of them, they will take good care of you, and then they want change of 10-cents from a ten-dollar bill. It doesn't matter whether the person getting tipped is in the food industry (waiter, bus boy, delivery), transportation (cab, limo, delivery), or any other tipping-oriented job. It's all luck.
Basically, all someone can do in that position, is to not allow low tips to stress them out.
Today, what I said to this friend, is to remember that it is all luck. And, at the end of the shift, to simply say a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord for the tips received, no matter how large or small the amount. Tips, after all, are a gift. A blessing.
Now, most of you know I end my day with prayers of thanks. That, however, is at the end of the day. My advice to my friend is something I must also do off and on throughout the day, not just at day's end. Every time something goes "right," I should say a silent prayer of gratitude to God. Every time something did not go well, but it did not go as poorly as it might have, I should say a silent prayer of thanks to God. And every time I manage to get through a stressful discussion, or avoid hurting someone's feelings, or just deal with a nasty part of life and get through it, I should say a silent prayer of thanks for God's help.
Father, help me to "hear" the advice I so often give to others, and help me to "heed" my own advice in those times.
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