Another overnight shift.

Today’s my third overnight shift. I have got used to the working nature, the working hours and the tasks. Got a complaint from a crazy guest in the morning and it was solved, so that’s fine. Handed over the unfinished tasks to the morning shift colleagues.

Everything seemed normal and peaceful until when one of my morning shift colleagues said, " Helen....be nice to the guests......"

I have to admit, I was shocked to hear that.

Ain’t I always nice to the guests? Ain’t I always smile in front of them, do what they want us to do and offer alternatives all the time? Why are you telling me that I am still not good enough? .......

Then I was silent for the first time and reflect. Well, I guess my colleague was right. Maybe I am just doing all that for my performance. My heart was lacking. Yes, my heart.

I am always in constant fear. I fear that the guests will complain. I fear that someone will mention my name upon checking out and said that my smile is not sincere enough, and so on. The fact is, my fear is so overwhelming that I have forgotten what the job is actually about. It’s about heart-to-heart thing. Serving guests was not a show, it’s instead a sincere person trying his best to make another person happy. It’s just as simple as that.

Where have I been? I am constantly missing the point.

I have to admit, I was a little embarrassed when my colleague said that, and I was a little mad at first. But I guess if I did not reflect this time and let it go, I will be letting go too much that I will regret at some point in future.

Thank you so much. Arigatou gozaimasu.