Last week, I had a doctor’s appointment that did not go well.  Not that I got bad news, but I was made to wait over an hour, and finally had to walk out without seeing the doctor because I was late for my next meeting.  I was in an incredibly sour mood when I got on the elevator to the parking garage, and the two other women on the elevator with me also seemed equally sour, then a young man in shorts and a hoodie got on the elevator.  There was a moment of total silence, then he said, “Hi, Ladies!”

His tone was so bright and cheerful that we all broke into big smiles.  He and I got off on the same floor and I turned to him and said, “Thanks.  That little moment just turned my day around.”  He replied, “I believe that it’s best to be happy most of the time, and to try to spread happiness when you can.”

I stopped dead in my tracks.  You know when you have a moment that feels pre-arranged by the universe?  When something that is happening feels meant to be?  It didn’t matter that I was already running late – I had to know who this person was and why our paths were crossing.

He is fitness guru Steve Jordan, and he is just an awesome human being.  I told him about the book, Happiness as a Second Language, we discussed various options for publishing, as he has a book coming out as well, and I gave him my card and we parted ways.

This week, he reached out to say hello.  I am so excited!  He’s smart and kind, the workouts on his website are great, and something tells me that he is going to be a compatriot in Happiness evangelism for a long time.

So there are two things that we can all get from this:

  1. If a doctor makes you wait for over an hour and you walk out without even having the appointment, that might be the best thing that happens to you that day, and
  2. If you get on an elevator with a bunch of sourpuss women, say “Hi!”  It might change your life, or you might just make someone’s day.  Either way, it’s a win.

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