Morning Coffee … Delivered!
"There is nothing so rewarding as to make people realize that they are worthwhile in this world." – Bob Anderson
About every two weeks, I go for my haircut at a local barbershop here in San Antonio. Mario, the owner, has cut my hair for the past decade. In fact, our son Aaron has also been going to him since he was a young boy.
I arrived promptly at 9 am for my haircut, and Mario motioned me to his chair. As he prepared to get started, the shoeshine guy, Conde, brought a steaming hot cup of coffee to Mario, and it was obviously prepared with the preferred mix of milk and sugar.
Conde said, “Here you go, Mario. Enjoy the hot coffee on this very cold day!”
Mario responded, “Man … Brother, that is great! I got you tomorrow!”
This was not a fancy coffee from Starbucks. In fact, it was made in an old-time machine, in which 10 cups of water are poured into a unit and a filter is loaded with scoops of coffee grounds.
But this did not matter today or any day here at the barbershop. The coffee was great!
I found this to be a beautiful act of kindness from one friend to the other.
Would you agree?
The Chicken Sandwich Example
On my way home from the barbershop, an example from decades ago came to my mind that related to what I had just observed.
Around 1995 or so, a referee friend and I were sitting for lunch at a D/FW Marriott restaurant. We had a tight schedule, so we placed our orders and had a chat as the food was prepared.
About 20 minutes later, the food arrived, but his plate was overlooked by the waiter. Given that we did not have time to place another meal order before heading to an important meeting, without hesitation, I said the following …
“Brother! No worries! Why don’t we split my chicken sandwich and fries? Are you okay with that?
He said, “Man … that is very nice of you! Let’s do it!”
It’s true that we both left a little hungry, but there was something special about this moment, and it made our friendship even stronger.
Sharing Kindness and Love
When I think about these two examples, I am reminded that beauty in life often has little to do with the big stuff.
For example, here are some ways I can apply this lesson …
When the weather is cold outside, I can offer to start the car for a family member, so it is nice and warm when they get ready for their drive.
When I observe someone who has taken the time to dress up for an event, I can offer a genuine compliment.
When it is obvious two people are traveling together on a flight, I can offer to change seats so they can be together.
When a friend is going through a difficult time, I can visit them to give comfort.
The lesson for me here is that leading with kindness has little to do with material items.
Instead, in most cases, the best thing I can do is the little stuff which people often appreciate the most and might just remember for decades to come.
See you next week, my friends!
Inspiring Quotes
"The shortest distance between two people is a smile." – Victor Borge
"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." – Jack Kornfield
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you uplift someone this week?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.