Do you enjoy exchanging a hello and “How are you today?” with people you meet?

Yesterday when I greeted a sales clerk in that manner, she shot back “It’s the worst day of my life.  Nothing could possibly be worse!”  Her face scowled and became ugly with her disgust.  I felt attacked by her answer.  It was as though the only thing that could make her day better would be to ruin mine.

“Then this is your lucky day.” I responded.  “It can only get better!”  She looked at me as though I had thrown cold water in her face.  It momentarily changed her thought pattern as she tried to decide how to react.

I didn’t mean to be flip, but she was nurturing her sour and negative attitude.  She didn’t need to dwell of her sorrows.  She also had the option to say, “If this is the worst day of my life,  it will soon be in the past. – And my life will improve.