enthusiasm

Whenever I'd call my mother on the phone when I was a kid, she'd start the conversation by asking me, "Are you smiling?" Back then, I never gave her greeting too much thought because that's what young people do:  They ignore their parents' wisdom until they realize at some point just how smart the old folks could be.  As I've grown older and gained experience in business and life in general, it has occurred to me that my mom's question is important and even a bit profound.   At first blush, this notion of smiling on the phone is sort of silly.  After all, no one sees your face when you're on the phone, so who cares about the expression on your face?  But the truth is, this question of whether or not you're smiling on the phone has everything to do with