I had this guy I used to work with probably a decade or so ago who used to say “make it a great day” all the time. It was even in the closing of his emails; it was something he did with great intention.
I was curious about it, so I made a point to get to know him. He thought, as I do now, that the choices we make every day determine how we’ll see the events of the day and whether we happen to life or life happens to us.
In order to make it a great day, I try very hard to fill the buckets of others through gratitude. In short, I thank people. A lot.
I thank people for doing their jobs, I thank them for going above and beyond, I thank them for kindness, for service, and more. I also thank police, fire fighters, military, EMS, nurses, clergy, and more.
I thank them whether I work with them or not, and my wife does it too. It’s a habit we chose to form around the time we got married and we recently celebrated 12 wonderful years – so we’ve been at it for a while.
I want you to do a little experiment. Find someone who needs a boost and share your gratitude with them for something they did. Make sure it’s genuine, that it’s something you truly appreciate. Watch their eyes when you do it (because, you know, masks – watch their face if you can see it). What you’ll see, nine times out of 10, is surprise followed by a smile…maybe even a bashful one.
You just made it a great day for them, in that moment because someone noticed. It’s not that they wanted to be noticed. Many don’t do things to be seen, but being seen, even to the withdrawn, can be extremely gratifying.
If you read these articles I write, you know I relate most things through stories, so it’s story time.
Recently my family was on vacation at a water park. A young child got separated from his mother. He wandered around in tears and got ignored more than once until a lady stepped in, spoke to the child, and helped him find his mother by way of a lifeguard. My wife made it a point to go up to her and thank her. What she said to her was, “I just wanted to thank you. If my little one got lost, I hope he would find someone just like you.”
As my wife walked away, the lady she thanked had tears in her eyes. That same lady had set up chairs for her family around the time we did. The kids were restless, she looked out of energy, stressed (like so many parents do), and just before she encountered the lost child, she had been frustrated with something. One of those days, most of us have been there.
After my wife’s comments, she beamed. The rest of the time she was within our field of vision, she looked happy and maybe a little proud. She didn’t help that kid because she wanted anything, but hearing those words probably did a lot for her.
Another story comes to mind.
I was working with someone who wasn’t one to seek the spotlight, but man oh man did she rock anything I asked her to do. She was tremendous, but she didn’t speak up much. If you got her to share, she’d know exactly what was wrong in a process or have the solution to a problem. She didn’t believe in herself or the value she brought, but she should have.
I became very deliberate about telling her how much the things she did helped me, the team we were on, and the organization. I just kept filling her bucket and making sure I didn’t forget to recognize her for what she was doing. Eventually, this wonderful person started to speak up, share her ideas, and find her voice. The way she presented herself started to match the impact she had at work – the best part was when she spoke, people listened.
When I left that employer she told me, very briefly, how much our time working together meant to her. I didn’t do anything special, she’s the one who found the courage to believe in herself. I just made sure she realized the good she was doing.
Through your efforts to treat others well, you can make it a great day both for yourself and for others.