One day, while I was away on vacation, I had an interesting encounter. My wife and I were at a country club. Sitting by the pool and having lunch. 

On our way back to the lobby, I watched as the doorman opened the door for the woman entering ahead of us. He greeted her with a huge hello, a boisterous “welcome back,” and a hug. 

I approached the door with a big smile on my face — arms open wide — and asked, “How about me?” He chuckled and flashed a huge grin. “Welcome!” he beamed as he wrapped me in a hug. We both laughed as if we were long-lost friends. I’d never seen this man before in my life, yet here we were, having a grand time!

A few minutes later I began to walk back outside to wait for my mom to join us for lunch. As I approached my new friend, Jimmy, he and I were both smiling so big I was afraid our faces would crack. 

Jimmy: “That’s a great spirit you have!” 

Me: “I practice LIFE - Live Incredibly Full Everyday!” 

Him, wide-eyed and excited: “Wow, I love that!” 

He was still smiling ear to ear when I walked back to the lobby and he asked me to repeat what L.I.F.E. meant. I happily told him. He immediately turned to a guest who was observing a few feet away and told her “I love that and I love this guy.” She laughed and nodded in agreement. 

I was beside myself. The joy was contagious! Once again my tiny little act had produced happiness in others. I should be used to the effect my philosophy has on people by now, but every time I hear this kind of feedback, I well up with utter joy. 

Not content to keep the message to himself, Jimmy asked me to share the meaning of L.I.F.E. with the other guest. After I did, he assured me he was going to remember to Live Incredibly Full Everyday. I told him, “Hey, don’t steal that! I’m writing a book and that’s my title.” 

If it’s possible, his excitement got even greater. “Really?! I want to read it, where can I get it??” Despite me telling him I was still in the process of writing it, he was eager that I let him know when it’s published. 

This was such a heart-warming experience for me. I was flabbergasted, he had only heard those 5 words: LIFE- Live Incredibly Full Everyday, but those words made such an impact on him that he wanted to know more. 

What if the next time you’re out and about, on vacation, or maybe running errands, you stop and make someone smile? 

How do you think they’ll feel? 

How do you think you’ll feel?

Take it from me, spreading joy is infectious. If you start the practice of bringing a little joy to others, your entire outlook will begin to shift. You may even start out each day, looking for those opportunities to help someone feel better about the day.

So, I have a challenge for you:

Go out today, right now, and make someone smile — maybe even get them to laugh. Then come back and comment below. Tell us what you did, how the person you spoke with reacted and how did you feel afterward. I’ll check it out and reply.

The power of happiness, joy, kindness, and sharing knows no bounds.