Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, used to say, when someone asks you how you are, you look ’em in the eye and you say, “Great!”

The idea being, that when you had that energy, it attracts people to you. It presents the image that you are cheerful, motivated, and have things going on.

I was at a training with a Mary Kay Director whom I’m embarrassed to say I’ve forgotten her name. But what she said stuck with me.

“Sometimes, we cannot honestly say, ‘great,’ because of things going on in our lives. So when that happens, I want you to look them in the eye, and say, ‘Unbelievable!'”

I thought, well, that’s kind of silly.

About a week later, I was at the office and I was having, well, an “unbelievable” day. You know the kind, where nothing goes right, everyone is cranky, and your boss is being a so-and-so. (Boss, if you’re reading this, I’m not talking about you.) And it happened. A client asked me, “How are you?”

I took a beat and said, “Unbelievable!” and looked ’em right in the eye.

Pause.

We both burst out laughing at the same moment.

And you know what? I felt better. They felt better. And damned if it didn’t make my DAY better.

Huh.

Unbelievable!