This Tiny Gesture Will Brighten Your Day

Are you an outgoing person?

I’m not.

I’m quiet, I’m shy and I’m adept at avoiding human interaction.

This is never more apparent than when I step into my office building’s elevator.

If there’s nobody else there, I’m free to stand alone with my thoughts or rehearse my golf swing in peace.

If there is somebody there, however, I can feel an underlying tension circulate my system.

I reach for a wall to lean against or scramble for my phone to browse or stare at the electronic floor display. Anything to sidestep the threat of awkward eye contact or conversation.

But recently, in an attempt to swim against my self-defeating currents, I’ve tried breaking from this antisocial behavior.

As I step off the elevator, I turn to whomever’s left and say, “Have a nice day.”

It’s the smallest of small gestures. But it’s something I believe has the potential to incrementally build into bigger breakthroughs.

(At least, that’s what I tell myself in order to overcome my hesitancy.)

Sometimes people readily reciprocate; other times it’s met with silence, probably because everyone is in their own worlds and it catches them off guard.

But every time it makes my day a little bit better.

And I hope that, even if they don’t acknowledge it, it makes someone else’s day a bit better too.

*****

This originally appeared on 100 Naked Words.