René of the Day // 6.3.11 // Chivalry

The first thing that comes to my mind is manners - or men. Gentleman, that is. But that's not quite what this post is about. But I must say, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because my gentleman friend, MR, is quite the chivalrous young man. Car doors are opened even in sweatpants, chairs are pulled out, he always walks on the outside of the sidewalk and the list continues (don't gag at me.) When I hear that "chivalry is dead" I shake my head... and I believe you cannot necessarily blame the man, but his parents for failing to raise him to be a gentleman. It is a learned practice. But I disgress...

What about being chivalrous in general? You get immediate results from being warm, thoughtful and understanding. Instant gratification of a job well done - a good restaurant makes you a good person who puts others needs first. It inspires questions over judgment. Working in fine dining restaurants as a hostess has made me accountable for these actions. And I'm highly disappointed when I meet people who fail to thank others or take the time to show manners or consideration. Knowingly practicing insincerity builds misconceptions.

Anthony Rudolf, the GM of Thomas Keller's renowned restaurant Per Se in New York City says, "Warmth, compassion, humility and care have become a commodity" - I agree. "Attitude over ability; with time, experience and repetition ability will grow; in order to achieve greatness it needs to be fueled with the right attitude and embrace it when you see it in others. Actions are only as good as thoughts." And I urge you to create "thank you" moments and let others see your genuine generosity.

Take a few minutes to watch this video of Anthony Rudolf's speech at TedXEast - it's always a great decision to become more mindful of the way we interact with others. I believe you will benefit more than you would assume, even if you cannot fully relate to the hospitalty industry example - I'm sure you've dined somewhere and experienced great service and the way it made you feel, or have had a horrible experience and wondered how they didn't know the way it was perceived.

What is TedX?

Created in the spirit of TED’s mission, “ideas worth spreading,” the TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.

I had the opportunity to attend TedXCincy in the fall on behalf of Soapbox (see my badge below) and it was incredible and inspiring - if you ever have a chance to attend a TED event, GO! Or just watch some of the incredible presentations on YouTube.