I’ve recently become rather sensitive to the fact that although it should be a very polite sentiment, the saying “Have a good day” is instead a tragic casualty in our cultural vernacular. It has been especially evident when I have encountered people who work in retail. We get past the generic “How are you?” (if even that), rarely make awkward small talk, and end our transaction by receiving from them a colorless, passive “Have a good day.” No sentiment. No genuine well-wishes. No joy, really. It’s more of a mindless pleasantry than anything—a habit that we have all fallen into. It’s just the thing we say, much like “How are you?” as we pass someone on the sidewalk…we don’t generally care to get an answer, it’s just something we say. It’s part of this awkward social dance most of us stumble around trying to do. I have certainly played my part in perpetuating this lifeless habit.
I don’t quite recall the moment in which I had a shift in my thinking and when I have stopped saying “Have a good day.” Someone (and I wish I could remember who) spoke of living life with intentionality—with greater purpose. And in that, they gave a similar example. Life is abounding with choice. Every single moment we make decisions—little ones and big ones, and even ones of which we are often unaware. Telling someone to have a good day is nice and all, but it’s been cheapened as it has simply become background noise.
Instead, I love to say “Make it a great day.” Not only is it a bit jarring as it goes off script, but it also has a power behind it. When someone tells me to have a good day, I envision them waggishly pushing this pile of stuff toward me much in the same way a poker player pushes all of his/her chips into the center of the table, but with much less enthusiasm or concern. It’s almost as though they are saying, “Here, have this. I don’t really care anyway.”
But when you say, “MAKE it a GREAT day,” you are encouraging someone to be emboldened and you are empowering them to make decisions as to which which side of the road they will choose to drive—either happily cruising forward in the safety of the right lane, or frantically veering all over the place as they dodge oncoming traffic in the opposite one. You’re intentionally moving out of step and choosing to not continue in the same hokey-pokey that everyone else is doing. And it’s awesome—especially if you say it with intention and excitement. Try it. Mean it. And, most importantly, choose to embrace it in your own life.
You are defined by the choices you make. You can be a doctor or a designer or a stay-at-home mom; you can get up early or sleep in; you can wear the green polkadot underwear, the ones with stripes, or even no underwear at all; you can smile or grimace; you can be a peacemaker or a terrorist—it’s all your choice. You choose not only your actions, but almost more importantly, your REactions. You don’t HAVE a good day or a bad day—you MAKE it a good day or a bad day through your choices.
As Thanksgiving is only a few days away, and many people will be (in my opinion, insanely) venturing out to brave the crowds as they shop Black Friday sales, there is ample opportunity to put this idea into practice. Not only do you have the occasion to choose how you are going to react to pushy, rude, self-serving people (and from my experience, they are in no short supply), but you also have the cool chance to ambush people with kindness. You can punch them in the face, or you can punch them in the heart (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Holidays can already be stressful—especially to those retail workers who make your $2 toaster oven sale possible. So be extravagant in your kindness. Make it a game. Take people off their guard. Be intentional about it. Have fun with it. Choose to MAKE it a great day and to infect others with it by encouraging them to do the same.
Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and your family and friends. May you take inventory of all of the many, many blessings you’ve been afforded (great and small), being grateful for all that you have. And may you likewise remember those who have been less fortunate for whatever reason. May you consider them with mercy, grace and kindness and may you be a demonstration of love. Make this a great holiday not only for yourself but for all those whose lives you encounter. God bless.