How Are You Showing Up?

I was at a small North Carolina airport on my way back from a family reunion in Atlantic Beach a couple of weeks ago. As I often do when I'm waiting for a flight and have time to kill, I strolled into a sleepy newsstand to look for some good reading material and a snack. There were no other customers in the shop when I walked in, and I struck up a conversation with the guy behind the counter, who curiously asked what kind of magazine/book I was looking for.

As we made small talk, I announced that I was having trouble reading because I'd most likely put my contacts in the wrong eyes that morning. (Cue gently self-deprecating laughter.)

Eventually, I settled on a fashion magazine, a bottle of water, some peanut butter crackers and a candy bar. As I paid and started to leave, to my surprise, the clerk came out from behind the counter, quietly pulled me aside and said,

"I just wanted to tell you, I was having a really 'off' day, but your smile and your personality... made it so much better."

That made me feel amazing! I responded, "Wow, that makes my entire day," then said something like, "I'm a Life Coach - good to know it works," introduced myself and shook his hand, wishing him well.

The thing is, I was just going about my day, treating him the way I would treat anyone. I smile at strangers as a general rule. I'm the sort of person who will start conversations in the line at the grocery store; that's completely normal for me. In other words, it wasn't a big deal. But it was a big deal to HIM. And his taking the time to tell me how that brief interaction improved his day meant so much to me. He could have kept quiet, and I might've never known the impact of a smile and a few words exchanged.

All of that to say, how we show up matters. It might make a difference to someone in ways you don't expect.

How do you want to show up today?