Today I made a conscious decision to disrupt my daily routine and try a new coffee shop. It led me to a place that felt incredibly warm, as if nature existed inside the space.
And while I was the only patron for some time, the energy was explosive and I felt as if surrounded by members of my community.
There is a table with a prayer bucket where you can place your requests. A place to write anonymously in several journals just to express your thoughts and feelings. A place to see the faces of the children from #MSD killed just weeks ago. And a place to read what people are thinking.
I felt almost selfish for wanting to get a snapshot of the minds of the people in my community. I thought maybe I’d learn something about them and what they want from others so I can use it to my advantage in business, social and philanthropic efforts.
But when I say little moments have the power to move us in unexpected, powerful ways, I say it after being moved.
Once I began perusing through the content left on the table top, I knew it was different than reading the news, or hearing stories on television, or listening to protest testimonies. It was different because the words were written without care for who’s eyes it’d be exposed to, if anyone at all. The words were spontaneous, unedited, and raw.
I was most moved by the commitments nearly every writer expressed:
- to offer the same love for friends to strangers,
- to offer more compassion and understanding, to anyone you meet,
- to share kindness exponentially, without concern for receiving the same,
- to spread awareness about the issues that affect our communities in silence (like mental health),
- to forgive without reserve but demand positive change wherever possible, and
- to remember the “why” behind choosing to make such commitments at all.
I am not ashamed of the benefits I received today by engaging in this little moment nudged by selfish motivations.
What if trying to reach the community, in all our efforts, continued to be motivated by these commitments? Would that make us better business owners, service providers, proponents for change, advocates for awareness, and pioneers for innovative solutions all in the name of improving each of our respective and deserving communities?