Smiling and saying hello may seem like such a simple thing.

I’m guessing most of us do it when we see family or close friends. But what about the person we don’t know?

The cashier at the grocery store. The person walking toward us on the sidewalk. The coworker we pass in the hallway every morning. The waiter taking our order.

We never really know what someone else is carrying. They may be having the best day of their life. Or they may be having the hardest.

Pat McAfee always says, “Be a friend and tell a friend something nice. It may change their life.” I’ve always liked that quote. It made me think about how often we’re walking through life with our heads down, staring at our phones or rushing to the next thing on our schedule.

Someone walks by, and it would be so easy to pretend we never saw them.

But what if we all chose to do the harder thing?

Smile. Say hello. Ask, “How are you?”

Maybe they smile back and simply say, “I’m good.” Maybe they nod and keep walking. Or maybe they stop for a minute and actually tell you how they’re doing.

And when they ask you the same question, maybe instead of giving the automatic, “Good,” we actually have a real conversation.

It doesn’t have to be long. It just has to be genuine.

I think one of the greatest needs people have today is simply to feel seen. Not ignored.

And while you’re having that conversation, treat everyone with respect. It shouldn’t matter who you’re talking to.

The famous Lou Holtz once said, “Treat everybody the same. Talk to the janitor the same way you talk to the CEO.” I love that.

Respect shouldn’t change based on someone’s title, job, or position.

Pat McAfee has another saying that I think goes right along with it, “The world needs more good people.”

Everyone deserves kindness. Sometimes I get in my head and need some kindness too.

I was reminded of that the other day.

I was walking into a restaurant feeling overwhelmed. My mind was racing, I was stressed out, and all I could think about was everything I still had to do that day.

As I walked in, the hostess smiled and simply said, “I like your shoes.”

That was it. It made me smile. It pulled me out of my own head for a moment.

Then I started thinking…

What if she had been rude? What if she had ignored me completely? It probably would have added to an already stressful day.

Instead, she made it better.

Sometimes all it takes is a smile. A compliment. A kind word.

You may never know how much it means to the other person.

So here’s my challenge this week.

Be the light for someone else. Smile. Say hello. Give a compliment. Treat everyone with respect. Because being kind doesn’t cost a thing.

I actually have one more challenge for you this week.

Reach out to someone you love or a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Pick up the phone. Call them. Ask them how they’re doing.

I think a lot of us have that thought, but then life gets busy. We tell ourselves we’ll do it later, or we think, “That might be kind of weird.” Do it anyway. I have a feeling they’ll be glad you called. And I have a feeling you’ll be glad you did too.
“Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11