“Why don’t you high five a different person every day for a month?” one of my engineers challenged me. He’d always make fun of my month-long challenges. I did the ketogenic diet, worked out every day, and meditated every morning—among other things.
So I accepted.
On the 1st day, I high fived my wife.
On the 2nd day, I high fived my CTO.
On the 3rd day, I high fived my neighbor.
Things got interesting when I ran out of people I knew to high five. I’d stop strangers in the street and say something like, “Oh man, that’s a sweet dog!” and “Hey, I’m loving that jacket!”
I felt vulnerable putting my hand up and smiling. There was no assurance that they’d high five me back. We live in a society where mistrust is the norm. But 9 cases out of 10, the other person would high five me. Their face would break into a smile, and we’d share this moment of electric joy that would never have happened between two strangers otherwise.
It was amazing. They walked away with a little extra bounce in their step.
And so did I.
Who knows what such ripples of happiness can create? I realized that we’ve got a chronic deficit of kindness. And that working on it one high five a time— Is not a bad way of tipping the scales.
Credit to Johnny Reinsch.
