When you know better, you do better. And participating in BTB helped me know better.
I’m Isabelle, Content Strategist and fellow Build then Bless-er. The notion of giving without it actually having to cost you anything is the very thing that drew me to Lemonade Stand. When this is a company’s priority, you notice what it says about its culture.
While I have used Build then Bless (BTB) on multiple occasions, it’s the moments where I’m not actively pulling from those funds and instead, my own, that stand out to me. I think many of us would like to consider ourselves giving people, but when it comes down to it—at least in my experience—it wasn’t a priority nearly as much as it is now. When you know better, you do better. And participating in BTB helped me know better. My eyes stopped glazing over opportunities to bless people and instead, honed in on them.
It started with acknowledgement, a simple smile to a homeless person on the street—a seemingly fleeting act of kindness that may have just done more than we could possibly know. Then one day, I bought a croissant while walking around with my family. I saw a man sitting on a doorstep, with a sign that I can’t quite recall and decided to hand him my croissant. But this wasn’t the meaningful part for me. I leaned down so I was at eye level and asked him his name. “Daniel,” he replied, “what’s yours?”
I gave him my name and told him I hope his day gets better. As I was walking away, he kept saying, “God bless you, thank you Isabelle.” Over and over.
A few things were going through my mind:
- Asking for a human’s name is a profound act that can make people who otherwise aren’t, feel seen.
- I wish I acknowledged him more—asked about how he got here, what his dreams were, and if he wanted real food.
- How do I make this more about the interaction and less about me?
At my company, we talk about these stories every week. And I struggle to say my own because of my last thought: I don’t want to be seen as some savior or like I did something incredible. But in an effort to be bashful, I’m ironically focusing inward.
The whole point of BTB is outward thinking, putting yourself aside to serve others. Yet, I overthink every encounter, how I could be better, and why I shouldn’t share these stories.
I wish I could say this is the 2010 movie ending where I overcome my fears, yell all of my stories to the world, and bless as often as I breathe. But I can say I’m one step closer to that notion.
Build then Bless has the power to change lives; it’s already reshaping mine. We’re simple creatures really—a kind smile or a meaningful interaction is all it takes to shift someone’s day. It was never about money. At the risk of sounding like a cheesy commercial, I mean this from the bottom of my heart: you can have nothing yet everything inside of you to completely change the trajectory of someone’s day, and dare I say, life.
I dare you to give it a go.
