Lily the Barista is one of my favorite people. And I’ve never met her.
I first learned about Lily from a post on goalcast.com. In the post, Ryan Estis recounts his chance meeting with Lily in the Minneapolis Airport on Christmas Eve. Lily is a Barista at the Airport Starbucks.
It’s worth repeating, Lily is a Barista in the airport on Christmas Eve in Minneapolis. In the time it took for Lily to make Ryan’s Grande Pumpkin Latte, she had made such an impact that Ryan says he will never forget that cup of coffee. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could be that memorable?
Here’s the video from the Goalcast website
Ryan is a great speaker and his delivery helps create the heartwarming feel of the story. Lily, however, is unquestionably a delightful person.
What lessons can we learn from Lily?
- The airport can be an awful place during the end of year holidays. Yet, she chooses to “Pour Happiness” for everyone she meets. If she can act with such grace when people are dealing with the stress of travel, you can act with a little more respect when waiting in line at Target.
- Lily strives to create meaningful interactions with everyone she meets. You never know what they might be dealing with, and your polite smile and gracious attitude could change someone’s life.
- Every person can be unforgettable and it doesn’t take much. It’s as simple as being your genuine self.
I feel the last point is the most important to helping us achieve the happiness that Lily seems to have found. When you are your genuine self, you become happier because you’re not trying to fit someone else’s expectations of you. Your genuine self also makes you come across as more sincere. And when people believe you to be sincere, they tend to act happier also, even if they are having a crappy day.
For my part, it would be nice to be unforgettable to all the people I meet. And in listening to Lily’s story, it closely resembles how I have been trying to live. With intention and happiness. Hopefully, I can change some lives in the process.
