A hardware store owner was the third generation to step in to his families business.

The staff worked together like a big happy family. And their customers loved to shop at the store because of the positive people, great products and the pleasant environment.

For as long as customers could remember, the owner wore a golden lapel pin that said “Business Is Great!” and he was always cheerful and great to work with Most people thought he was happy because business was great. In reality, it was the other way around.

For the most part, the business was very good. But like all businesses, there were ups and downs—prosperous times and lean times. What never changed though was the owner’s positive attitude, caring way he dealt with his customers, and the badge saying “Business Is Great!”

People often asked him, “What’s so great about business?” Many would also comment on how their own business was struggling, or that they were stressed and having a hard time. He’d always take a moment to talk with them.

Some of the reasons why he said business is great were:

• the pleasure of interacting with people every day
• the reward that comes from helping his people learn and take on new challenges
• the fun that comes from promoting a positive environment
• the fascination and getting to learn new skills and see the world from many peoples differing points of view
• the good feeling of finishing a job and having done it well
• the opportunity to innovate and come up with new ways to overcome challenges
• and living with an attitude of gratitude—where every day will be just about as good or lousy a day as your thinking makes it.

The list was unending. People who came in the store and interacted with the owner felt better when they left. They told others about this great guy, and the wonderful store, products and service.

It’s really hard to measure the value of this positive attitude. But you can bet that to a great degree—that attitude was a self fulfilling prophecy. From living and breathing this fun and good into every interaction it made a positive impact.

I’d bet that if you had a quiet heart-to-heart talk with the owner, he would admit that the badge came first and the great business followed as a result of it.