Connection matters
Moving your focus to others will change your day, and repeated enough times, your life.
I love coffee. I ignore the studies that say it's bad for you. My wife and I recently visited my brother in a small California beach town called Carpinteria (or Carp as the locals call it). I got to visit my favorite coffee shop on the planet - The Lucky Llama. Here are a few reasons why it's my favorite:
It's about a mile from the beach
The weather is incredible, even in the dead of winter. You can sit outside and let the California sun warm your back as you sip hot black coffee.
I have great memories of being here with my family
It's got a surfer vibe. I'm not a surfer but my nephew is great at it. I live vicariously through him.
Carp is a vacation spot. I love watching bleary-eyed moms and dads wandering in from the campgrounds with kids in tow.
Everyone seems to have a dog. We love dogs.
You might see a celebrity! A few years ago we saw Ashton and Mila. We’ve been on the lookout ever since.
On our recent visit, I recognized a man I’d seen the last time we were in town. He was in the corner drinking coffee and reading his Bible. I decided to introduce myself. I learned that he’d grown up in the area and was interviewing for a new job that day. Susanna and I got to learn some of his story and then prayed together for his interview. That encounter changed our day for the better.
What's the lesson here? No matter what is going on in your life, you get to choose what you focus on. You can:
double down on all that is going wrong (we all have stuff!)
choose to focus on adding value to others
“Every action you take is a vote for the person you want to become.” - James Clear
It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as asking the person taking your order “How is your day going so far?” Make it your goal to try to make them smile. Remember, everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Intentionally moving your focus from yourself to others will change your day, and repeated enough times, your life.
Whose life can you make a difference in today? I'd love to read your comments below as you try this out. Make it an amazing week!
