
Episode #
A CONVERSATION ABOUT CHRISTMAS GIVING
CHRISTMAS GIVING
A couple years ago my daughter and I were having a fun daddy-daughter date getting ice cream, but everything changed when the employee took our order.
This employee was a teenage girl who looked extremely sad and done with life. She didn’t even try to smile or pretend to be happy to see us. You could just see that she was hurting inside.
When we got to the end of the line where she gave us our ice cream, I paid the due and also took a second to give her a $100 tip.
When she saw the amount, her complexion changed. She started to tear up and you could tell that she had really been struggling with some things in life. It was a special little moment.
Later that day, I got a call from a guy I had worked with in the past who said,
“Hey you don’t know this Casey, but my daughter has been working at Cold Stone and has really just been struggling with life and we haven’t known how to help her. But today she came home really happy. She said you had given her a tip, and had acknowledged her. It really helped her out.”
This experience touched me so deeply. I’ve had a hard time knowing when would be the right time to share this story, especially because it can come across the wrong way. But I felt like Christmas Time was the best way to talk about the power of giving. I don’t share this to give myself a shoutout or anything like that, but rather just to talk candidly about my own experience.
Tony Robbins always says that “The secret to living is giving.” And I just want to echo that. Not only did this experience help this girl, but it gave me so much peace and joy inside as well.
The unique thing about giving is that nobody loses out—everyone gains when someone contributes in an unexpected way, whether it be with money, time, connection, or just a smile.
My biggest goal in life is to be a giver. It’s not always easy or convenient, but I’m always grateful when I follow my gut and give freely. I’ve never missed a single cent that I’ve given away.
