“How many of you guys have had a lollipop moment? A moment where someone said something or did something that you feel fundamentally made your life better?”
In Drew Dudley’s TED Talk, “Everyday Leadership,” Drew recalls a story told to him by a girl he met at college: he was passing out lollipops for a charity at class registration, wearing a silly hat, loving life, and enjoying every moment of the experience. He walked up to this girl and the guy standing beside her in line, imploring the bemused student to “give a lollipop to the beautiful woman standing next to you.” This one seemingly small moment had an enormously large impact, leading to the two students dating for the rest of college, eventually getting married!
And the best part of the story: Drew remembers none of it ever happening.
In life, we all have these “lollipop moments,” where we have no idea how our actions can affect those around us. Whether we remember them or not, the tiniest actions can have the most profound impacts. The best part about lollipops is that they’re sweet and tasty, the times in our lives where we make a positive difference. Lollipop moments aren’t sour or unenjoyable, they’re positive for all those involved. Whether the person has been in our lives for 10 seconds or 10 years, we must continue to hand out lollipops. A leader doesn’t need to be standing in front of a room lecturing to a crowd or running a business meeting to make a difference.
Say hello to the stranger walking down the street.
Engage in a conversation with the classmate that sits in the back of the room alone.
Write a letter to an old friend.
Call a person in your contacts and let them know what they mean to you.
Go out and make a difference. Set the world on fire.
It doesn’t even take one person to change the world: all it takes is one action.
