I’m a big believer in destiny. Not some big cosmic plan, but the real, raw kind – the one you sculpt with your own hands, brick by brick.
About a week ago we were in the mountains and stopped by a Walgreens. No big deal, right. But as I walked out, head down, on a bee line to my car - in my own head - I heard a random - “Have a good day, man.”
I looked up and this Fedex delivery guy walked past me about 10 feet away - not in my direct line of sight - and he had a huge grin on his face. It’s like he was determined to make my day.
Totally random, right? Except, was it? Or was it perhaps a tiny ripple in the pond of life, sent out by someone who chose to do something that potentially could impact those in his path.
My daughter has had a saying from the time she was very little, “you can shine no matter what.” And this guy, this one awesome spec in the universe decided to buy into that message and look at the impact. Now you’re hearing it and maybe it will hit home and you’ll share it.
I used to go to Starbucks all the time and someone would pay for my drink, then I’d pay for the person behind me, and on and on - it’s that pay it forward concept. And it works.
And this Walgreens incident was interesting because the Fedex guy wasn't at my house.
This wasn't at my place of business, where it’s normal for someone to say something like that. It was out of his way - it was a decisive act by a stranger at a Walgreens while on vacation.
That means the rules of when you can make your own ripple impact have changed and the parameters have expanded. You can do this anywhere, anytime, to anyone!
Now I could have looked at him and said “what's his problem? Who does he think he is?”
But I remembered when I went to school in Philadelphia, I would walk down the street, and at that point I was young, on my own, studying musical theater, so I was always singing with a smile on my face.
And people would say, “man, when you walk down the streets of Philly, don't look people in the eye and smile. They're just gonna look at you like, who is this guy? And you’ll piss them off.”
But I remember a couple times, as I walked out of a WahWah and crossed Broad Street on my way to class, I would encounter strangers, and I would just say, “how are you, hope you have a good day!”
And other random greetings.
And every once in a while, I see someone light up.
Then, when I moved to New York, where I lived for about seven years, I walked down the streets in Manhattan and did the same thing.
I would be on my way to an audition or a call back, or to my sales job selling vacations over the phone.
And I would catch people by the eye and say, “hope you have a great day!” “How's it going?” “Hi there” with a big smile on my face. And the same thing - a tiny ripple…
In neuroscience, researchers have found that when we see someone smile it stimulates our mirror neurons and the control system for our facial muscles is suppressed, usually triggering a smile of our own. This mirror neuron system can create immediate emotional shifts as well as long-term behavioral changes. So that ripple you’re creating is powerful!
I believe as salespeople, leaders, or whatever your day to day looks like, we have the opportunity to make someone's day in every type of interaction possible.
My sister is a top real estate agent in Virginia.
And the reason why she's been number one for so long is because she goes out of her way to make every single interaction the most important interaction of her day.
She doesn't care if people judge her or not. She is going to light them up with a smile and a burst of energy.
Whether at the grocery store, in a buyers consultation, at a closing, at a showing, walking down the street.It doesn't matter.
Some people just have that.
And I feel like I used to have that. And it takes an interaction, like the one I had at Walgreens for me to remember that I have not only the opportunity, but almost the duty to make every interaction something special, to make somebody else's day.
The “you smile, I smile” saying is a scientific fact. And smiling can lead to reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and overall greater satisfaction in life.
So as you make your way through your day, overcoming challenges, celebrating wins, walking down the street or hanging out with friends or family, remember the power you have to not only make someone's day, but to spark their brain chemistry and potentially change their life.
Change doesn't have to be monumental, it doesn't have to be planned. Many times, the greatest changes or shifts in our life happen unexpectedly when we least expect it. Like when we're walking into a Walgreens and a Fedex guy says, “hey, man, have a good day.”
So take that opportunity.
My real estate agent that I've been working with for almost a decade is just like that. I always feel like I am his only client and nothing else matters.
So why not do that for someone today?
I started this episode by saying that I believe in destiny. I’ll leave you with a quote from William Jennings Bryan. "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice; not something to be waited for, but something to be achieved." This quote emphasizes the power of personal agency in shaping your own destiny, just like you're sculpting a path with each interaction, each tiny ripple.
So remember, you have the power to shape your destiny, so go out there and make it happen.