28 February 2009
A hair stylist thought it was just another day. A client came in to get her hair styled, which was odd since that day was in the middle of her normal five-week appointment. He asked her what she had to do that evening and she indicated nothing special - she just wanted to look and feel good that night. He joked with her as he styled her hair and at the end of the appointment, she hugged him and left. A few days later, the stylist received a letter in the mail from the woman. She wrote about wanting her hair to look pretty the night she was in since she was going to go home and commit suicide. But the small amount of time she spent with the stylist getting her hair done had changed her mind. His cheerful attitude caused her to re-evaluate her lot in life and she instead checked herself into a hospital and got help. The stylist cared about someone, without knowing the effect it had.
We all have the ability to make someone's day, but in the current negative environment of this economy and this stock market, it is easy to forget that. Each of us gets to decide each day how we are going to act and respond to all the stimuli around us. If we each decided to thank someone at work for their positive attitude, or leave a note for the wait staff at a restaurant (with a tip of course), or buy a coffee for the person behind us at the coffee shop, or even shovel the driveway for our neighbor, maybe the funk the United States is in might lighten a little. It certainly will for the person doing these nice things.
I read Warren Buffett's letter to shareholders that was published this weekend. In it he points out that "...the economy will be in shambles throughout 2009 - and, for that matter, probably well beyond - but that conclusion does not tell us whether the stock market will rise or fall." The last 15 words of that sentence were not reported in the media Monday but are the most important. Buffett understands that the stock market is an emotional rollercoaster that should not be used to gauge the mood of ourselves or our country. In fact, based on where the market is as I write this, there is a decent chance the next 10 years returns will be much better than the last 10 years. With that in mind, I encourage everyone to do something positive today for someone else and stop worrying about what the next day, week or month hold in the market. Take control by giving back instead of checking the television to see how you should be feeling - rescue yourself and let others wait for the bailouts. In the end, you will feel a whole lot better and the market will take care of itself. As my grandmother - and a lot of our grandmothers - would say, this too shall pass.
The hair stylist learned that he really did not know how other's days were going and yet he had not only an opportunity, but a responsibility to make sure those he touched felt his intentional kindness. The hair stylist was David Wagner, owner of Juut Salonspa. My sister works for him and says he lives every day of his life intent on making a difference to those around him. I encourage you to do the same to everyone you meet today and maybe we can start a self-fulfilling prophecy that changes our community by making each other's day.