I played volleyball with a fellow A-Team member tonight, and we hung out in the little bar area for about an hour after our match was over. We mostly did our own thing, but had a few laughs with the bartender while we were there. No big deal, right?
Well, in the car ride on the way back home, we both mentioned how we were struck by the bartender’s personality, and how her fun attitude was contagious, which improved the entire night for both of us. From there we went on to discuss a mutual friend of ours whose positive outlook on life and cheerful personality makes us happy to be around her.
Each and every one of us makes an impact in the lives of the people around us, whether we intend to or not. I doubt that our bartender tonight was consciously trying to make a good impression on us – she was just being herself. She had no idea that her little touchpoint into my life tonight would make such an impact that I’d write this blog post about it, and share the story about her attitude with thousands of people.
And that’s why it’s so important to be the best you can be, all the time. You never know whose life you’re going to touch, and where that one small interaction could possibly lead. Let’s do our best to make all of our interactions positive ones. Please don’t hear me wrong on this . . . I’m not talking about stretching and straining to be perfect in everything you say and do, every minute of the day. But I am saying that it’s in our best interest (and the best interest of those around us) if we take some time to reflect on who we are, what we do, and how these things impact those around us.
To use the example of those of us on the A-Team, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to try to spend 15 minutes a week doing smalll things for other people. But the cool thing is, it’s not just those 15 minutes that change your attitude. It’s the weeks and months you end up spending walking through life with your eyes open to the good you can do in this world, and the examples you see of others doing the same. That’s been the biggest change in my life as a result of this project.
I told my friend tonight that when I’m around people with positive attitudes, people who just exude joy from their lives, it makes me want to be a better person. I feel that I’m doing that with this project, and so are hundreds of others.
And you know what? We’re changing the world.
Thank you, Jenna, and thank you Jenny. Maybe you guys will see this, and maybe you won’t. Either way, you’ve made a difference in my life, and hopefully with this article, I’ve helped make a difference in many more.
What else can we do this week to encourage and promote positive interactions? Let us know in the comments below . . .
Similar Posts:
- Share Your Stories
- A Celebration of Life
- We Are Hijacking The Fast Company Influence Project
- Some Thoughts On Community
- 30 People On Twitter Who Care What You Think
