unexpected truth
Yesterday, I had to drop a package off at FedEx, and as the young man who was processing the drop-off and I stood there in silence while he worked, I felt compelled to ask him how his day was going.
His initial response was, “Good…”.
Then, after a short pause, he followed up with, “Cold…”.
I smiled in agreement with him—it’s been freezing here lately, and there wasn’t a need for a verbal agreement.
He looked down at the computer screen, then at me, and said, “Actually, it’s not good. I watched my car get towed last night because it crapped out on me in the cold. So, yeah, it’s not really a good day.”
I paused momentarily before responding and said, “ah, man I’m so sorry to hear that. I can see how it’s been inconvenient and a downer for you.”
He finished my receipt, and all I could offer was another genuine smile and “I really hope the day starts to turn around for you and that the car has a simple and quick fix.”
I grabbed my receipt and headed for the door, and for some reason, I felt compelled once again to speak up. I looked back and said, “Hey man, I really appreciate the honesty.”
And I did.
I wasn’t expecting him to change his original answer, and I hope that sharing how he really felt with me, a total stranger, allowed him to process his emotions and maybe feel a little better because he wasn’t bottling up how he really felt and he was being genuine and authentic.
I appreciated that he felt comfortable enough to be real with me because I took that as feedback from the Universe that my energy, my aura, is signaling to the world that I can be trusted, will empathetically listen, and care. Remember, one of my words for the year is the epitome, and this is the type of feedback I hope to see from people I interact with.
We’re not always “good” when we’re asked. Sometimes, it’s best to be honest and share your feelings. You’ll feel better, and who knows what could result from sharing your truth? One day in the future, I’ll be able to go back to FedEx and let that young man know that I’ve covered the bill for his car repair or possibly even given him a new car—being able to do things like that is why I’m focused on increasing my income and net worth. One day, I’ll be able not just to be someone who can listen but also someone who can help.
Note: I’m not suggesting you share your truth in hopes that someone will bail you out, but that other person might know someone who can help you—you never know how the Universe will bless you when you are being true and authentic.
I hope our brief interaction at the FedEx counter turned his day around because the unexpected truth he shared was special to me.
🎧 Listen to today's Note on the LifeDesign+ podcast.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
🦅 Some ways I might be able to help you live your authentic life:
🤝 One on Ones Let's hop on Zoom to do a guided meditation, a creative brainstorming session, or an overcoming an obstacle session.
📝 LifeDesign+ LifeDesign+ is rooted in the Kinder Institute of Life Planning’s EVOKE process, which is a five-step process to help discover what your authentic life looks like and begin to design a plan to bring that life to reality. It continues to incorporate the alignment of your spirit, mind, and body to ensure you evolve with your authentic life, as the authentic life is not a destination, it’s an evolution.
💸 AlignedLife+ AlignedLife+ (and the one-time engagement AlignedLife) takes LifeDesign+ to the next level by aligning your finances with your authentic life at RLS Wealth. For individuals looking for a financial advisor to help design and manage their financial plan while maintaining the alignment of spirit, mind, body, and money, AlignedLife+ was created specifically for you.
📈 LifeDesign+ for financial advisors LifeDesign+ for financial advisors mirrors the LifeDesign+ relationship, including the focus on the alignment of spirit, mind, and body, with an important distinction—once the plan for your authentic life has been designed, we shift our focus to integrating your new plan with your practice.
🤝 Outsourced life planning As your outsourced life planner, you bring me in to take your client through the Kinder Institute of Life Planning’s EVOKE process to help them better understand who they are, what they want their life to look like, and create a vision of this life for you to execute on the financial plan. Since you are their financial advisor, you will be a part of each of the meetings, so you understand the “why” behind your client’s new plan.
