It’s more than a cup of coffee… it’s purpose!
I recently ran across a post I made on social media a year ago. It caused me to stop and reflect on that special day and how people impact us in so many ways. The day was April 5, 2022 and I had just left Carl Jr’s in Duncan, Oklahoma with several biscuits for my family and a cup of coffee. I remember this day very clearly for several reasons. It was memorable because it was the day my father-in-law was being laid to rest after 85 wonderful years. He used to visit this restaurant regularly and always ordered the same meal, an extra - extra crispy bacon and egg biscuit with a slice of tomato and a cup of water and coffee. All of the staff knew his name and when he walked into the restaurant we would hear the whispers, “Dewey’s here” which prompted team members to start cooking his order. He was like a celebrity there. When he finished, he would always tip the staff with some change and wave on his way out.
However, the most memorable moment for me was the way the staff would treat him. How they served him and created such a great experience for him… it’s what brought him back each day. On this day, I purposefully drove to the restaurant to order the “Dewey Special” breakfast for my family in honor of him. While I was there, the staff shared how they knew about Dewey’s passing and how sorry they were. They shared how much they enjoyed him coming in each morning. They shared stories. They were so compassionate. I remember the moment was so emotional – in fact I am getting emotional typing out the story. Everyone behind the counter felt a sense of purpose in their job. They knew the work they were doing impacted everyone coming in.
Many times, we forget “the why” we are doing work, and start wondering why we are here. Why does the job matter? We get stuck. We then start thinking about how we want purpose and want to be part of something bigger. When I graduated from college, I went to work for a moving company and remember feeling depressed about not doing something more with my life. Then one day it all changed. The day was when I helped someone with a moving challenge. The customer was so thankful and my entire perspective changed. I thought about how much my job mattered and I leaned into serving more and more. I looked at serving in different ways. I looked for more people to help and more people to serve. This is when it hit me, when I realized my purpose to help others through relocation, through volunteering, through speaking, through writing, through podcasting, and through service. Then I knew it was time to change lanes and accelerate serving others. I once heard John Maxwell share that “success is about helping you, and significance is about helping others”. Want more in your career? Want to feel connected to something bigger? Want to live a life of significance? We can begin by looking for others to serve. When you find your lane of service, you will be connected to something bigger in your work, and driving with purpose in every area of your life. Enjoy the journey - you are now on the road to significance. …and stop by sometime… it’s more than a cup of coffee!
Quote of the Day… “If you love the people you work with, you will have a great life.” -Ben Affleck
This is “Move to Inspire” with Bruce Waller! For more information, call 972-389-5673, or email bwaller@goarmstrong.com or check out my social media Facebook and Twitter page. Also, check out www.BruceWaller.com to review my leadership books “Life in the Leadership Lane”, “Find Your Lane” or pick up a copy of my journal “Milemarkers” to start recording your everyday. All books are available on amazon. Be sure to subscribe to my YOUTUBE channel to watch the video podcasts and other messages to help you lead in the workplace! “Life in the Leadership Lane podcast is available on your favorite podcast platform including APPLE, GOOGLE, and SPOTIFY. Interested in a book club? Join our book club “CLIMB” on Facebook.