Did you know that you can decide how you show up in the world?  

By Lori Hammond

Coach and Professional Hypnotist. Giving you simple tools to stop overwhelm and harness joyful forward momentum.

The other day I went out to eat with my daughters and my granddaughters (8 weeks old and 17 months old). 

As soon as the waitress saw us her whole body tensed up. 

No smile. No warmth. 

I jumped to the conclusion that she must not like kids...

At least not kids who could potentially create a disturbance during her shift...

Apparently she didn't realize I have charming granddaughters!

When she brought our drinks, she plopped them on the table without making eye contact then sprinted back to the kitchen. 

I was trying to decide if I should be personally offended when I noticed that she was acting the same way with all her tables. 

"Maybe she's having a bad day," I thought. 

When the waitress walked away after taking our order we all looked at each other as if to say, "What the heck?!!" It was almost comical how bad the service was.

I said (and I'm not proud of this)...

"I don't even want to leave her a tip."

My sweet daughter, MiKelah, very gently said,

"Mom, we tip because of who WE are, not because of who our server is."

"We tip based on our character, not theirs."

Sometimes I get defensive when people offer lightbulb moments, then later I realize they were right. 

But since Mikelah is one of the most consistently compassionate people I know her words pierced my heart...

In a really good way.

As I nibbled on my poorly cooked food (apparently the cook was having a bad day too) I noticed how peaceful it felt to not have to make a decision about how I would tip anymore. 

I have always LOVED leaving big tips. If I'm honest, I do it for me more than the server because it makes me feel good to think about them smiling when they see the check.

It's always felt a little yucky and entitled to punish people for not being as cheerful and friendly as I want them to be. 

The idea of always tipping well because "I AM a good tipper" feels liberating.

I was thinking of you while I contemplated this idea. 

I was so excited by this aha moment that I thought, "This is going to be my next Sunday cheat sheet!" 

I hope it resonates with you. 

Maybe it gives you an aha moment about tipping or about some other area of your life where you are ready to be liberated from decision making...

...and automatically take action based on who you choose to be as a person. 

I hope that makes sense. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this one! 

Have a beautiful week, my friend!

Love,

Lori