External pleasantries and niceties might feel fake at the beginning, but over time it will transform our overall attitude
About a year ago, I noticed that a daily attendee of one of my shiurim came dressed in an elegant suit and tie, which was unusual for him. I asked him afterward if he was on his way to a wedding, and he said he wasn’t. The next night, the man walked in again in the same dignified attire, and again the night after that.
After a week, I pulled him aside and voiced my curiosity about his change of dress code. He responded with such an interesting explanation. He said that he worked in the financial industry, and for many years he had dressed in a classy suit and tie every day, until Covid struck. When offices were shut down during the pandemic and he was working from home, he started to dress more casually. This new approach to attire continued even after work resumed in the office.
But this fellow recently noticed that his productivity, effectiveness, and work ethic had all taken a dive since Covid, and he couldn’t figure out why. So he decided to start dressing in the same elegant way that he used to, with the hope that his good mazel would somehow return.
Just last month, I went over to him and asked him if business had picked up. He said that it had dramatically improved over the last few months, and that he attributed it to the way that he physically presents himself — in full formal attire — at work.
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