Master Motivator?

Carrying two white plastic garbage bags (one filled with plastic bottles, the other with aluminum cans) and a paper bag filled with bottles I walk into the redemption area of my supermarket and start loading plastic in a machine. The scratchy, grinding sound of plastic being pulverized reminds me of nails against a chalkboard so I squirm slightly as I send 40 or so bottles to meet their maker. Otherwise, this is the one weekly chore I enjoy most.
I do it willingly, with a smile and without being reminded.
Why?

After loading all the bottles and cans into the machine, I drive to the other end of the parking lot, enter the store and proceed to the customer service desk. Handing Marissa my redemption tickets, I wait with a smile. Marissa is probably the only supermarket employee I remember by name and the reason is connected to the question above. She adds up the tickets on a calculator, opens the register and hands me nearly $5. I promptly place the money in my wallet and drive to get a coffee, using a little less than half. The rest stays in my wallet for some treat later in the week.

As I raise two teen-agers and run a newsroom, finding ways to motivate my sons, the staff and myself has grown into a serious study. Reading and listening to the latest books helps. Trial and error has also yielded results as has updating the lessons my father taught me.
My euphoria when Marissa hands me the money is proof that instant reward is a pretty good motivator. I feel a little guilty about being so happy because I often preach to my sons and others that the key to success is to approach each day asking “What can I contribute?” not “What can I take?” According to that approach, cutting the lawn, vacuuming the pool and raking leaves should be as rewarding as returning bottles and cans.

Let me know what you think.