This year has been a busy year of travel for me, and the end of the year is no exception. I booked an early morning flight that had me up at 4:30am to get to the airport. The thought of such an early flight made me groan, but then I starting to think about the chain of people who would make that early journey possible for me: my Lyft driver, check-in agent, security staff, gate agents, flight crew, etc. They all do their jobs at an early hour so I can get to my destination safely, often for low wages.
When the trip came, I realized I had a choice: I could be grumpy about having to take an early flight and hold this negativity with me, ultimately putting it on display for everyone to see. It’s so easy to take this choice, the choice most passengers end up taking these days. Or, I could choose to be grateful of this modern, 24/7 machine of safe air travel and the people who made it possible. Just thinking about the latter choice got my mind working about how I could show my gratitude, and I decided to do a little “experiment of gratitude”: what if I got a little gift for every worker I encountered on my journey? How many gifts would I end up giving out?
Then I started to think about what kind of gift would be appropriate for such an experiment. Staying fed and hydrated while working is a common challenge, so maybe I could give them a healthy snack or a little boost. Because it was a trip, I had a few constraints: they had to be small enough to fit in my luggage, and they couldn’t be a homemade food item. Although I normally eschew gift cards, I decided a Starbucks gift card would be portable and a universally appreciated item that would enable them to get a coffee/tea or snack.
The payback from this experiment started immediately. For the first time in years I actually looked forward to get
ting up at 4:30am! I ended up giving gift cards to my Lyft driver, airport security agent, two gate agents, and four flight attendants, all of whom said thank you and smiled while performing their duties. And, instead of arriving haggard and grumpy after four hours of sleep and a long flight, I was energetic and happy to share my story. Mission accomplished for both the recipients and the giver :) I also thought about those invisible workers whom I couldn’t give cards to: airport back office workers, law enforcement, air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, etc. I’m excited to see how I can demonstrate my gratitude to them one day, too.
When the trip came, I realized I had a choice: I could be grumpy about having to take an early flight and hold this negativity with me, ultimately putting it on display for everyone to see. It’s so easy to take this choice, the choice most passengers end up taking these days. Or, I could choose to be grateful of this modern, 24/7 machine of safe air travel and the people who made it possible. Just thinking about the latter choice got my mind working about how I could show my gratitude, and I decided to do a little “experiment of gratitude”: what if I got a little gift for every worker I encountered on my journey? How many gifts would I end up giving out?
Then I started to think about what kind of gift would be appropriate for such an experiment. Staying fed and hydrated while working is a common challenge, so maybe I could give them a healthy snack or a little boost. Because it was a trip, I had a few constraints: they had to be small enough to fit in my luggage, and they couldn’t be a homemade food item. Although I normally eschew gift cards, I decided a Starbucks gift card would be portable and a universally appreciated item that would enable them to get a coffee/tea or snack.
The payback from this experiment started immediately. For the first time in years I actually looked forward to get
ting up at 4:30am! I ended up giving gift cards to my Lyft driver, airport security agent, two gate agents, and four flight attendants, all of whom said thank you and smiled while performing their duties. And, instead of arriving haggard and grumpy after four hours of sleep and a long flight, I was energetic and happy to share my story. Mission accomplished for both the recipients and the giver :) I also thought about those invisible workers whom I couldn’t give cards to: airport back office workers, law enforcement, air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, etc. I’m excited to see how I can demonstrate my gratitude to them one day, too.
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- Posted by kindness1st
- Jan 4, 2018
- Comments (9)
Readers Comments
Littlegirdie wrote: I love this!!! Inspiring inside job 😎🤗
lindariebel wrote: This is genius in so many ways! Honoring individuals, recognizing our interconnectedness, lifting your own spirits-- if there is a prize for good stories this would win!
Drishti wrote: too good
mindyjourney wrote: Love to travel will kindness, my friend :). I give origami Peace doves that I've made and tucked a blessing in -- sometimes, give chocs to flight attendents. The real gift is in the giving, the connect, the reaching out and recognizing their service, no matter if gift card, small positive energy made craft, a smile...Thank you!
mish wrote: Bravo...you transformed things so beautifully by focusing on gratitude & kindness. I bow to you, kindness 1st.
leoladyc728 wrote: you did a wonderful job
DANCE wrote: Thank you for being appreciative of others' work
Aesthete wrote: Good going "kindness1st", you truly put kindness first today! I'm sure the workers were grateful to be appreciated, and were able to share that positivity with others throughout their day! Thank you for your good work!
Kixx wrote: I loved this. You inspired me to smile to every worker i came across yesterday. Even a very grumpy security guard. Thank you!
