“Have you got far to go with those?” the assistant asked, while looking me squarely in the eye, as he was deciding how best to pack my groceries.

It was the tiniest gesture, nothing much, and yet it was enough to stop me in my tracks, because it’s not what we’ve come to expect. Nobody does that these days—well hardly anybody.

This wasn’t part of a script dictated by a boss. It was one person’s way of making his work meaningful and his interactions with every customer count. He wasn’t thinking about what to do when he knocked off work at 6pm. He was right there with me, in the moment—believing that his work mattered.

Your work is a gift. The way you go about it, the story you tell (and live) can change someone’s day, and maybe yours too.

Image by Paul Swee.