The Surprise Benefits of My Attempt to Break a Cycle
What do breaking cycles, manifesting, and a movie theater have in common?
Hi. It’s me.
I’m the common thread of those three things.
Identifying a Cycle to Be Broken
I took my daughter and a friend to see the Taylor Swift concert at the movie theater about a month ago. I dropped them off and ran some errands and returned when I thought they'd be done.
Little did I know that I was about 45 minutes too early to pick them up. ⏰
Initially as I waited, I pulled out my phone and tried to look something up. That's when I realized that the cell coverage in the theater lobby wasn't great.
So I put the phone away and considered asking an usher what time the movie let out. But I resisted that urge. I mean, I really had no other place to be. I also considered returning to the car, but ultimately resisted that urge, too.
I recognized that I wanted to fill the time with something, ideally something productive.
As I stood against the wall, I intentionally decided to stay in the lobby and to practice patience and presence, no matter how long I had to wait. This was NOT an easy decision. I could win awards for multi-tasking and getting things done in all the “in between” moments of life. 🥴
So I closed my eyes and took some deep breaths. I then tuned into my senses while continuing to keep my eyes closed.
I NOTICED…
The sound of the lobby doors opening and closing and the movement of the patrons
The hustle behind the counter as employees completed customer orders
The smells of the popcorn and the fake butter (I'm not a fan…sorry, not sorry.)
The ache in my lower back and my desire to find a place to sit
As I opened my eyes, I NOTICED…
The comings and goings of the patrons
The excitement of families and couples as they anticipated their time together
The surges of activity and how the employees adapted in response
and the repeated attentiveness of one particular usher
This usher captivated me. He was responsive to, even anticipating the needs of customers who had questions about buying tickets or otherwise looking questioning or confused. When we wasn't busy, he was checking the cleanliness of the counters. He even picked up pieces of popcorn that had fallen on the floor. And no joke, he did so with a sense of fun and playfulness, spinning his body as if dancing as he returned to a standing position after squatting down to the floor with a napkin.
I continued to watch him and found myself in awe. I mean, I'd never seen anyone in that type of job bring such a sense of purpose and joy to what so many would consider “mundane” work. (I suppose I should speak for myself here. My time in retail in my late teens and early 20s definitely lacked a sense of excitement and thrill.)
I then NOTICED within myself that I rarely pay attention at this depth. Yes, I try to connect with people in customer service positions by making eye contact, smiling, and saying, “Thank you.” But I don't typically hang out for long periods of time and watch others do their job.
Unexpected Results
At this point, I’ve been in the theater lobby for about 30 minutes, maybe a bit more. And instead of being increasing irritated that the girls weren’t out yet, or beating myself up that I should have planned better, I just felt a wave of gratitude.
I was grateful for…
Choosing a more patient and present approach to this newly found free time
Poor cell coverage (I rarely see this as a gift!)
Being able to watch this usher do his job
I then considered telling the usher that I NOTICED him and to celebrate his approach to his work. But I second guessed that. I thought it would be weird and suspected he might look at me like I was crazy.
But the thought just kept coming back to me. It wouldn’t leave me alone.
So then I started scoping for the manager. I thought perhaps telling a manager how awesome the usher was at his job would be less weirdo-like. But I never saw a manager the entire time I was there.
Then the Universe took over.
As I stood there contemplating whether or not to share my opinions on the usher’s performance over the nearly hour I’d spent loitering in the theater lobby, the girls finally emerged from the movie. 😅
They briefly shared the movie highlights and then ran to the restroom before we planned to depart.
While the girls were in the restroom, the usher became quite busy processing theater tickets of a stream of patrons. And I was. planning to just leave after the girls returned because I didn’t wanna interrupt his workflow.
But when we were finally ready to go, I looked at the usher and realized all the patrons had disappeared. The usher was standing steadfast at his kiosk, alone and wearing a smile.
This was my last shot to make a move, if I was gonna make one.
I handed my items to the girls and headed straight for the usher. I’d decided I just had to tell him before I left what I noticed of him and his effort. I just felt like it was the least I could do for a seemingly thankless job.
Just when I reached the usher, a man walked up to his other side, looking down at his phone. His suit lapel was branded with a bronze pin donning his name and the title of, Regional Manager.
In that moment, I knew the Universe conspired on my behalf and on the usher’s behalf.
Compliment after compliment fell out of my mouth with an ease and excitement that I didn’t expect. I wanted the usher to know that I NOTICED him and the energy he brought to his work. I assumed not many NOTICE. I also assumed his behavior was typical. And I was right.
He and his manager were no less than thrilled to listen to my flattery. The usher, Tim, proceeded to introduce himself and to tell me about his job, how long he’d worked there, and more.
Changing Ourselves Can Change the World
My desire to break a cycle of productivity (or at least constant activity) resulted in increased awareness, both internally within myself and externally in the world around me. That heightened sense of noticing ultimately drove me to approach Tim at the precise moment his regional manager was present to hear all of his worthy praise. And my noticing led to him being noticed by his management.
Breaking cycles within ourselves can impact ourselves and others in the most beautiful and unexpected ways.
Let’s tune into ourselves and start creating life on our terms. How we show up in the world has a ripple effect far greater than we realize.
