Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person’s life. There is no coincidence. God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. You do make a difference. You impact others just by being in their lives. You may not know the effect you have at the moment, but you still have the impact. This next story happened to me in the early 1990s while I worked as a waitress in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I was a single parent to my beautiful daughter, Erin. Money was tight and we were on state assistance. I worked three jobs and attended the University of Utah. I knew that if I didn’t go to school, our lives would be harder, and I had to go while she was young so she wouldn’t remember the sacrifices. I am proud to say she never went to bed hungry. She always had food, shelter, and plenty of love.
Times were hard, and I didn’t always know what was next. One evening while I was waitressing at Two Guys From Italy across from the Salt Palace where the Utah Jazz basketball team played, I had the privilege of waiting on Mark Eaton when he and his wife came for dinner after a game. People talked to him all evening. At the time, I didn`t know he was a player for the Jazz. I just saw how nice he was to everyone who stopped by his table to speak with him. He never turned anyone away.
At closing time, my manager wanted to go home. I told him I would stay and let the couple finish eating because they hadn’t had any time alone. I didn’t mind; Erin was sleeping at Grandma’s so it didn’t matter what time I picked her up. Jose, the busboy, said he would stay as well. For the next few hours, it was just the four of us. I let Mark and his wife know the kitchen would be closing, but they could stay as long as they liked. I would keep their drinks full and serve them any dessert they wanted.
It was past two o’clock when they finally got up to leave. After Mark paid the bill, he gave Jose and me a one-hundred-dollar bill each. I was shocked. I had never seen that kind of money before, at least not in one bill! I didn’t think I deserved it, but then Mark said, “You gave me a lovely, uninterrupted dinner with my wife. We don’t get that very often and it means a great deal to me. Thank you.”
As I drove home that evening, I thought about all the things I could buy: food, clothes, parts to fix my car. I had received a blessing, and to this day Mark Eaton is one of my heroes, and he doesn’t even know it.
When you touch other people with positive energy, they are empowered to do things they did not believe possible. When I do an experiential training, I cut up a pen to show how we can take what we are handed and make a better “us” with it. You decide how others impact you. You decide who has power over you, and with that decision, you empower others.
Step into your power so others can follow,