Hello friends—hope your Fall is off to a great start. 🍂
Lately, I’ve had people ask me the same question over and over:
“Daniel, I feel so discouraged by everything going on. What can I do to make things better?”
I get it. The news can feel overwhelming—violence, politics, the economy, jobs, AI—you name it. I read the same headlines you do, and I feel the same weight some days.
Here’s what I do when it really gets to me: I tip.
Generously. Like, leave $20 on a $25 lunch bill kind of tipping.
Why? Because it shifts everything.
• It instantly makes me feel better—doing something kind for someone else is like a reset button.
• It brightens the other person’s day, and sometimes you can see it in their face right away.
• It reminds me that everyone has their own challenges, and I’m not the only one carrying weight.
• It gives me a sense of agency. I can’t fix Washington, but I can make a barista or server smile today.
• And, honestly, it connects me back to where I started. My very first job was bussing tables at Imperial Wok, living off those tips. I don’t forget that.
All of that for twenty bucks. Sometimes fifteen. Not a bad deal.
If I’m really in a funk, I might just do it all day—coffee, dinner, the parking attendant. Nobody is safe. And you know what? It works. It keeps me positive.
Now, maybe tipping big isn’t the right move for you. But the principle is the same: do something small, generous, and direct. Smile at someone. Call an old friend. Pay a compliment. These tiny actions ripple out more than you think.
Because here’s the truth: gratitude and generosity are fuel. They pull you out of your own head and reconnect you to what’s real and good. They remind you that you do have influence—even if it’s just over one person’s day.
So if you’re feeling weighed down by the state of the world, start small. You can’t solve polarization overnight. But you can lift someone’s spirits today. And that’s a lot.
Don’t let the headlines steal your light. Someone you know needs you, even in the simplest ways. Start there.