How to be the reason someone smiles today

As the golden hues of a San Francisco sunset wrapped around my family and me, a sense of gratitude washed over us—gratitude for the city's beauty and for the unexpected kindness of strangers. In the latest episode of Holly's Highlights, I spill the details of our spring break escapade in the City by the Bay, from the enchanting pedal boating in Golden Gate Park to the echoes of history on Alcatraz Island. But it wasn't just the sights that captured our hearts; it was the people—the Uber driver who doubled as our photographer, the informative pickup driver, and the restaurant staff who treated us like royalty. Their small acts of kindness turned our trip into a treasure trove of cherished memories.

However, it's not all sunshine and sea lions; hospitality, or the lack thereof, can cast a shadow even on the most picturesque of trips. I share a contrast with an Uber driver whose less-than-stellar service provided a stark reminder of how crucial kindness is, especially when you're far from home. And while the Easter egg dying at our hotel didn't go as planned, it's these moments of unpredictability that often lead to the most valuable insights. Tune in for a heartfelt journey through San Francisco as we discover that it's not just the places you go, but the people you meet, that forge the most enduring impressions on the heart.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast designed to encourage, inspire and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. I'm your host, holly Kirby, motivational speaker, leadership cultivator, marketing strategist and personal cheerleader. Let's check out today's highlights. Hello, my friends, I hope you had a wonderful spring break. Hopefully you were able to get away or just find some rest and be renewed somehow. For me, I am getting a little sentimental about my daughter graduating in a year.

Speaker 1: 0:34

So we decided to take a spring break vacation to San Francisco and I've got to tell you it was even better than I expected. We had so much fun perusing the farmer's market and pedal boating at Golden Gate Park, touring Alcatraz Island. I hadn't been there since I was a little girl and it was beautiful. To say Alcatraz, a former prison, is beautiful. It might cause confusion, but the flowers, just the towers, everything about it just was gorgeous. Highly recommend going there. And then, of course, we watched sea lions and sea otters at the pier and we rode in a rickshaw. The only way to get home from the pier is it was a long not a long distance, but a tiring distance after a long day. And of course, we devoured our chocolate shakes and candies at Ghirardelli Square, and we explored the moire woods and rode in a trolley. We just had such a great time.

Speaker 1: 1:31

Now, as I got home and reflected on everything, I got to thinking about people who added to our vacation experience simply by being kind and helpful, even going out of their way to make sure we got to where we needed to go, or enjoyed our moment doing whatever we were doing. So, for example, our welcome pickup driver, who I had arranged to pick us up at the airport and then take us to the hotel. He was so informative as we drove. He kept pointing out key areas of interest and he would tell us about great sites to see or places to get good photos. So that night, as we found ourselves close to one of those places that he had recommended, I went ahead and called an Uber to come take us up there and then to take us onto the hotel. Now, this Uber driver not only got us up to this place, which it was called Twin Peaks beautiful area there in San Francisco, it overlooked the whole San Francisco area and you just kind of felt like you were on a cloud hovering above it. It was really neat, but he got us to the prime spot to see everything. And then he parked his car and even encouraged us to get out and walk around and get some photos, and even went above and beyond by taking one of our family photos for us. This man was just incredible.

Speaker 1: 2:41

Well then, the next day, however, we were leaving Battery Spencer Park, so where we had the most majestic view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Uber I arranged was to pick us up and drive us to the Painted Ladies and the Full House House and I think it's called Lombard Street and then back to our hotel. Now, since I arranged these as multiple spots, I'm thinking I'll be able to get out and take a quick picture at a few of them. Right, makes sense to me how I scheduled the pickup. Well, the guy picks us up and I immediately confirm, when I get in the car, where we're going and that I'd like to quickly get out and take a picture at each spot you know shouldn't take more than 30 seconds and he not only tells me he can't do that, but then threatens to drop us off on the side of the street. What? Well, needless to say, he had a change of heart and I did get my photos, but he did not get a good review.

Speaker 1: 3:35

Now, a similar situation happened with our dining versus our hotel on a different day. In several restaurants that we would go to, we received such thoughtful consideration when we'd request something like is there a table where we can see the sunset or is there space out in the patio to eat? And one place in Sausalito even took us out to the patio and she spread her arms out, showing us all the options, and then she looked at me with a smile and said you choose where you'd like to sit. That was very kind, very thoughtful, very considerate. However, our hotel had been advertising that they were doing Easter egg dying certain hours that day. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and when we got our breakfast that morning, I even confirmed with them that they were going to be doing the Easter egg dining or dying during certain hours, and I wanted to just basically make sure that we would make it back in time, as one of my kids really wanted to dye Easter eggs.

Speaker 1: 4:30

Well, we made it back with over an hour and a half to spare before the event ended. So we went to go do the event and, to our surprise, nothing was set up anywhere. So when we asked the attendant about it, they told us well, people weren't just doing it, they weren't interested in it, so we just put everything away. Well, that's not right. I mean, you have everything promoted. They still had their signage up everywhere, even in the elevators. I mean it was everywhere promoting this thing. It still had an hour and a half to go, and yet how disappointing when they went ahead and pulled it back and canceled something just because they didn't have the turnout or the engagement that they were hoping for.

Speaker 1: 5:05

Now, both of these experiences with the Uber, as well as with the dining, remind me of something my mom used to always have as a decor piece in her home and truly a motto she lived by, and that is be the reason someone smiles. Today In the business world, we call this providing second mile service, where you exceed the guest's expectations. And here's the thing that applies to all of us, no matter our age, our industry or even our employment status. See, if you work in a school office, you're providing an experience for the parents when entering the office. So simply a kind greeting, making eye contact, even acting as if you're actually glad to see them there, it can make all the difference in that parent's day. If you work in food, you have the opportunity to ensure the guests receive the correct ordered meal or to make it right. If they don't Not belittle them or argue with them about who's right or wrong on what they ordered, just fix it.

Speaker 1: 6:07

If you work in transportation, well, we can reflect back on those experiences I shared with my Uber drivers, or even my experience in New York with a subway driver who got out to help a mom and her son make sure that they got to the right place when there was some subway construction going on. He simply was being observant and taking time to ask questions. Maybe you've had a new neighbor move in and you could take them over a helpful welcome list of days the garbage cans are picked up or your contact information in case they need anything or have questions. Maybe some information about that area, or even something as simple as here's our handyman's contact info or the kid in the neighborhood who mows the yards At church. Maybe introduce yourself to that person who doesn't look familiar to you and welcome them.

Speaker 1: 6:50

Now I totally botched this at church the other day. I was sitting next to or actually one of my children was sitting next to, someone that seemed newer, kind of looked familiar. But I should have said something after church. I didn't. I don't know what I was thinking or where I was headed, I just don't. But my dad was so good to go up and greet them and welcome them and get to know them. Now I felt horrible afterward, but a great opportunity that he took advantage of and I was so proud of him.

Speaker 1: 7:17

Maybe you're walking in and you see a veteran or a person in uniform. Thank him for their service. Or just as you're listening to today's podcast or other podcasts that you listen to books that you might read, go ahead and encourage that creative talent with a positive review or a rating. Does someone look like they're in a hurry in the restroom line? Let them go ahead of you. That's happened to me a few times where, whether they be a pregnant woman or a little kid or just someone who looks like they're in desperation need of using the restroom before you. Now.

Speaker 1: 7:48

I had a really cool experience throughout my first job at Kmart. I was only 16 years old and I had very quickly been promoted to customer service supervisor of the store when one night this older gentleman came in with his granddaughter and they came up to customer service there at the desk where I was working, and he told me that his granddaughter who could have been more than maybe 10 years old, max was going to be going to her first concert and he had a clue how to help her dress. So I went ahead and clocked out and took my 30 minute unpaid break and offered to help. We had her all decked out and looking good for her first concert, which was a country concert at that, to see Clay Walker. Now, as I wished them well and proceeded to go clock back in, the man asked if I liked country music and I told him, yeah, besides Christian music, I love country music. It was my next favorite. So he said he'd have two tickets waiting at Will Call for me, and then he proceeded to disclose that he was actually the owner of the radio station bringing Clay Walker to town. I had a clue.

Speaker 1: 8:48

It did go to show, though, that just another example of when we go above and beyond for others that second mile service or simple act of kindness, whatever you want to call it it does fill our cup in some way. Now why should we do such a thing of being the reason someone smiles today? It's not with the intent to fill our own cup. That's just an added unexpected bonus we happen to receive, but rather it's often the kind thing to do, the right thing to do. The saying goes, everyone is fighting a battle or has a story you know nothing about.

Speaker 1: 9:20

And we've all been there. I know we've been there. We've been there the first time visiting a food place following my mom's poisoning when she sipped tea from a restaurant that had mistakenly put lye into it instead of sugar and ended up in a coma at the hospital. That last vacation was my mom, after she was diagnosed with brain cancer and given but months to live. That one time where we put everything that we had into getting a new fence or new windows or other household maintenance need. You've been there too. That day we had a death in the family and had to still go run errands.

Speaker 1: 9:51

The world just doesn't stop, does it? That one opportunity to visit a destination, or hear that person speak, or attend that concert, or or or, we've all been there and, simply put, we never know what another person is going through or what they've went through to simply be in that moment where we find ourselves with them that day. So, whether through your job or simply through your presence of life. Be intentional in being the reason they smile. Are there going to be challenges with this? Absolutely. Anything worth doing takes effort right, and the three most common challenges to see with this is, first of all, I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. Second, I don't have the time, or even, third, I just don't feel like it. Well, for those who don't know what to do or say, there's a lady, vanessa Van Edwards, a fabulous speaker and people science expert, and she shares 141 ways to make someone's day. You can actually check it out on her website at wwwscienceofpeoplecom, and it's called how to Make Someone's Day.

Speaker 1: 11:05

Speaking to the time challenge, we may measure our opportunities, our day, even our life, by time, but remember that we value such opportunities, days and even life by the moments. What is important to us we'll make time for. We all have 24 hours in a day and we all get to choose how they're spent. And to those who just don't feel like it, that's a shame, but yet I've been there and we can look at the golden rule of do unto others as you would have them do unto you that pretty much applies here as you would have them do unto you. That pretty much applies here. I'm pretty sure that majority of us would want someone to help us where and how needed in our day, just as that Uber driver did for me and my kids by making our experience at Twin Peaks so special, or that hostess who sat us in Sausalito and let us choose our experience that day by choosing our own table. Author David York has a book out called the Gift of Lift, where he talks about stewardship and that we're actually entrusted to elevate others in such ways as exactly what we're talking about. Perhaps you may want to check that out and see such opportunities through a different lens of what we get to do instead of what we have to do mentality.

Speaker 1: 12:25

Melissa Broderick, who wrote an article in the Harvard Health blog back on April 18th of 2019, puts it this way lead with compassion, follow with kindness, lead with compassion, follow with kindness. And, of course, matthew 5, 41 in the Bible tells us if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them too. So what unexpected value can you give today? What memorable moment can you create? What relationship can you foster, what impact can you leave on the lives you encounter, and how will you choose to be the reason someone smiles today. Thank you for joining me on this journey of life. I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging, inspiring and equipping so you can go out and live your life full of purpose. I'd be honored if you'd take a moment to leave a review or, better yet, subscribe. We can also stay in touch by joining my email list at hollykirbycom. That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Ycom. Until next time, make it a great day for a great day.