Creating Best Moments

Around the beginning of July, I became a barista for Starbucks--a company that states in it's training materials that one of its main objectives is to "create best moments" in people's days. This philosophy intrigued me and instantly aligned with what feels like part of my own life's purpose. A person can be having a rough day or mundane day or even a pretty good day, but a kind word and a smile and having a barista recognize you at "your" Starbucks can make any day better. 

This overarching philosophy trickles down to employees and customers alike. I have seen a dozen cars in a row pay for the order of the vehicle behind them, and it is amazing and wonderful every time--for the giver, for the recipient, and for the barista processing the orders. But the love isn't just from barista to customer or customer to customer. The particular crew of people I work with most often are some of the most encouraging and positive people I have ever been around, and they are the very best kind of cheerleaders. There is a pretty steep learning curve when you become a barista, but in my store, there is a constant stream of praise and encouragement and teaching, so you never truly feel discouraged or like a failure, even if you mess up a drink (again!) or spill peach juice everywhere or can't find the right button to push on the order screen. The other baristas and managers will simply step in and assist, gently teaching you so you can do better next time. And they will usually leave you with a "Don't worry; you're doing great!" You will often hear the baristas speaking to each other this way: "You were such a rockstar on bar today!" "You did an amazing job in the drive-thru!" "Thank you so much for taking out the trash/restocking the cups/cleaning the floors!" There are even sticky notes stuck to highly visible surfaces that say, "You are loved!" "You are beautiful!" "You are Valued!" "You are strong!" As a person whose main love language is Words of Affirmation, I find this to be such a motivating and inspiring place to work, and I truly look forward to going to work every single day. 

I am trying to take what I have learned at work and apply it to other parts of my life. When I've seen my 4th grader struggling with homework lately, I've taken to saying things like, "Wow! You did an amazing job getting all your work done!" "You drew that life cycle of the grasshopper like a rockstar!" "Thank you for sitting down to work on this even though you were tired from a long day at school." I can tell you it changes his energy and engagement levels and makes the entire dreadful homework process better for both of us. I am also trying to remember to talk to myself this way. Because the words we speak--out loud and inside our minds--make a difference. 

Working at Starbucks has made me more cognizant of the words I use--with customers, with co-workers, with random strangers, with my friends, with my kids, and with myself. Words matter. And they can absolutely make a difference in whether a person has a bad, average, or best moment during the day. I want to be a creator of best moments for people. I want my interactions with people to leave them feeling happier and lighter than they were before, and maybe even inspire them to create best moments for others.