When they say good morning and use my name.
My wife’s smile in the morning. The world could be burning outside, but every single day she wakes up with the most sincere smile. That always puts me in the best of moods!
Someone greeting me with excitement and enthusiasm. There’s so much wonderfulness in being welcomed.
I would like to be greeted the way that the Cheers barflies greet their pals. Wholesome.
That’s exactly what I try to do for my friends and family. I want their first thought when they are near me is “I’m wanted”.
In American culture it’s all too common that personal time and vacation is undervalued or discouraged. For this reason when someone else is taking time off, or discussing taking time away from work for personal reasons I am very supportive. When someone returns this to me, I feel very respected and it usually makes me have a wonderful day.
I love this one. I’m usually excited for others too. I haven’t taken a travel vacation in close to a decade so I love to live vicariously through others travels. Tell me everything of what you are going to do and what you are going to see. I want to hear all of it.
Let someone in when they’re trying to merge onto a busy freeway.
In a bumper-to-bumper traffic slowdown, I once stayed still to allow an eighteen-wheeler to merge. They flashed all their back lights to say thanks, and it made me feel nice.
Just seeing a person use a turn signal is enough for me to think of them as a saint.
Hell, doing this for other people gets me in a good mood. It’s just a great thing to do for everyone involved.
it helps make roads safer too
A compliment. They don’t come often but when they do, they make my whole month.
Scratch my head. Whenever I’m in a bad mood my wife will give me a hug and run her fingers through my hair. It instantly relaxes and calms my nerves.
Acknowledge me positively when entering a room. Neutral engagement or non-acknowledgment is not hurtful, but over time it erodes me. And when a person walks in and immediately says something critical before even saying hi, well, it’s a goddamned wound.
All I’m asking is a brief smile, as if to say “hey, I don’t hate that you’re here.”
