Chefs, you know that awesome ego and energy boost you get when a customer calls you out of the kitchen to compliment you on a fabulous dinner? There's nothing like a personal, sincere, in-the-moment "thank you" to carry you through the hundreds of thankless covers you pour your heart into week in and week out.

Imagine how the mood would change in kitchens around the world if more diners took the time to say thanks for exceptional food and service. After all, most chefs cook for the love of it, to create a perfect food experience that transcends. Yet all too often the kitchen door only swings open for a chef to address a complaint, rather than a compliment.

The same is true for the media. Journalists tend to be chained to their computers in the same way chefs are confined to the kitchen. They churn out story after story, but generally only hear back from their sources or readers when they've goofed. As a publicist, I often get e-mails from miffed clients who want me to knock a reporter for a minor error. Rarely do I get an e-mail asking me to thank reporters for the good stuff, and that's a shame. Imagine how the collective mood of reporters would change if they got a sincere, in-the-moment "thank you" now and then, especially from the people whose stories they tell every day.

Here's to the simple "thank you" for a job well done, whether from diner to chef, chef to reporter -- or, heck, even from client to publicist. Couldn't we all use the boost now and then?