If you had a message, millions would see on a billboard in Times Square... What would it be?
Mine is simple: "May Hashem bless you to dream like Yosef." I’ve always been inspired by the story of Yosef and his unwavering belief in his dreams. Even in the dungeon cells of ancient Egypt, he still believed there was a brighter future for him.
One night during my night shift at the Rova Cafe, a thought struck me.
Starbucks writes your name on a cup, and I wondered: what if, instead of a name, I shared a personal, uplifting message? With a racing heart and a inner doubt. I decided to try something new.
I wrote the message on a cup for a customer named Joseph and handed it to him with a smile. To my relief, he returned the gesture by snapping a photo of the cup and leaving with a warm smile. Ok, there is something to this idea, I thought to myself.
But I could not write the same message for everyone, so I got creative.
Later that evening, another customer, Sarah, received a slightly different message: "May Hashem bless you to live with an open heart, laugh with a radiant smile, and see the world with hopeful eyes." Her genuine thanks confirmed that a small gesture could spark a moment of joy. Which was my goal from the get go. This experience reminded me of a quote from the Rebbe: "A little light can dispel a lot of darkness."
In a world where we often only have brief, transactional interactions, even a small act of kindness can make a meaningful difference.
Now, I’m not claiming this can change someone elses life—I'm just a barista hoping to share a bit of warmth and connection. But if my simple act brightened someone’s day.
Imagine the ripple effect if each of us chose to spread a little light coming from our unique circumstances.
Because I have been on the receiving end of this kind of random acts of kindness. And boy does it create an imprint on your psychology. Even years later (thanks avi :)).
As I grow my ghostwriting biz, my goal is to buy a NY Times Billboard and amplify my favorite message to inspire others. But in the meantime, I will do this at a cafe, uplifting one person at a time. And if you want a personalized message on your coffee, come by!
If you had a message, millions would see on a billboard in Times Square... What would it be?
Mine is simple: "May Hashem bless you to dream like Yosef." I’ve always been inspired by the story of Yosef and his unwavering belief in his dreams. Even in the dungeon cells of ancient Egypt, he still believed there was a brighter future for him.
One night during my night shift at the Rova Cafe, a thought struck me.
Starbucks writes your name on a cup, and I wondered: what if, instead of a name, I shared a personal, uplifting message? With a racing heart and a inner doubt. I decided to try something new.
I wrote the message on a cup for a customer named Joseph and handed it to him with a smile. To my relief, he returned the gesture by snapping a photo of the cup and leaving with a warm smile. Ok, there is something to this idea, I thought to myself.
But I could not write the same message for everyone, so I got creative.
Later that evening, another customer, Sarah, received a slightly different message: "May Hashem bless you to live with an open heart, laugh with a radiant smile, and see the world with hopeful eyes." Her genuine thanks confirmed that a small gesture could spark a moment of joy. Which was my goal from the get go. This experience reminded me of a quote from the Rebbe: "A little light can dispel a lot of darkness."
In a world where we often only have brief, transactional interactions, even a small act of kindness can make a meaningful difference.
Now, I’m not claiming this can change someone elses life—I'm just a barista hoping to share a bit of warmth and connection. But if my simple act brightened someone’s day.
Imagine the ripple effect if each of us chose to spread a little light coming from our unique circumstances.
Because I have been on the receiving end of this kind of random acts of kindness. And boy does it create an imprint on your psychology. Even years later (thanks avi :)).
As I grow my ghostwriting biz, my goal is to buy a NY Times Billboard and amplify my favorite message to inspire others. But in the meantime, I will do this at a cafe, uplifting one person at a time. And if you want a personalized message on your coffee, come by!