It is 6:53 in the morning and I am working from a local Dunn Brothers coffee shop in Chaska, waiting for a client to show up for an early morning meeting. I have been here since they opened at 6:00, preparing my notes and catching up on some much needed busy work. In the last hour, I’ve watched a dozen or more people wander through the doors. It is still dark outside, and Friday is just waking up.

I am stopping my work to capture my experience here. As each person walked in, they have been greeted with a smile and a kind word. The locals and the regulars have been welcomed by name, and as their mochas and espressos are being made, conversations have included questions about the holidays, their families, and the upcoming weekend. As each person has prepared to leave, they are left with a kind word, a “Merry Christmas if I don’t see you again,” or an “It’s so good to see you!”

The positivity is contagious.

It’s always like this when I stop here. What got my attention today is this… For every individual who walked through these doors this morning, this is one of the first human interactions they’ve had for the day. The positive, joyful way they’ve been greeted will surely impact the rest of their day, and will likely set the tone for their interactions with other people. Everyone who walked through these doors this morning will leave different because they came in, and the lift they feel is not just because of the caffeine. It’s because someone took the time to make them feel welcome, important, and valued.

The Takeaway

We can all have this same impact today, and my reason for sharing this is to challenge each of us to be intentional about this. Be friendly today. Make your clients feel important. Spread a little joy. Say hello to a stranger. Smile. These are all simple gestures that don’t cost a thing but can make a huge difference, and as my friend Jaime Taets shared in a recent Superpower Success podcast, the ripple effect can be amazing.

To check out the Superpower Success podcast, visit: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/superpower-success