October 6, 2025

When Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy was only eight years old, he sold bottles of Coca-Cola door-to-door, and he quickly learned he could sell more with a smile and a cheerful greeting.

Years later, when visiting a high-end hotel, he heard an employee respond to a customer with a heartfelt, “My pleasure.” Cathy left the hotel determined to replicate that phrase in his Chick-fil-A restaurants. If you’ve ever worked for one of Chick-fil-A‘s more than three thousand locations, you know the restaurant’s emphasis on customer service and  how customers love interacting with employees, and often hear a friendly, “My pleasure!”

Perhaps you’ve noticed the difference between people who love their work and those who don’t. Happy people tend to love what they do, and their happiness improves whatever environment they’re in. Being happy is attractive to others. It’s not based on our looks, dress, or affluence. It’s based on our demeanor of contentment and happiness.

It’s not just the face, of course. It’s the whole heart attitude expressed through the particular personality type God gave you. Happiness is a spreading attitude that radiates from us and affects the disposition of others. When we clothe ourselves with the beauty and cheerfulness that comes from within, it makes us attractive. When you go around with a cheerful heart, you’re a beloved physician whose presence is a therapy to others. Psychologists call this emotional contagion, which aligns with how your happiness or sadness affects people around you.

I’ve increasingly realized that being grounded in scripture, thankful for what you have been given, and seeking to love selflessly enables you to embody a warm and welcoming disposition like a mirror reflecting light to this world.

Intentionally Own It! What personalized growth does this message encourage me to pursue, and why does it matter? When will I take action, and what value will it add to my life and others?