I have a story to share today.
One that might shift your frequency.
The first day the COVID lockdown was finally lifted, I rushed to a little café with a friend. Just the joy of being able to eat out again felt like a celebration.
We had to wait 20 minutes to get in. The place was packed. People stood outside, smiling behind their masks, desperate for a taste of normal life.
Do you remember that time?
The world was still a little raw. A little awkward. But something inside all of us just wanted connection again.
Now here’s where it gets… interesting.
The service?
Well, let’s just say the universe was testing us.
First came the coffee.
And it was served at room temperature.
Now, in Northern Europe, “room temperature” means achingly cold.
I flagged the waitress—kindly—and asked if I could get a fresh, hot one.
She nodded. And then vanished into the void. No second cup.
Then the food came.
I had ordered an omelet with a side of guacamole.
Now, if you know me, you know this part already:
Guacamole is sacred.
It is the nectar of the gods. The green gold of civilization.
So when my plate arrived—without the guacamole—part of me broke inside.
I was low-key triggered.
Meanwhile, my friend across the table was getting increasingly annoyed. The cold coffee. The missing guac. The delay. The forgotten request. The waitress barely looked up from her notepad.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered.
But here’s the thing—I wasn’t mad.
Because earlier that morning, I had done my 6 Phase Meditation, and Phase 1—Compassion—had already shifted something in me.
I took a breath. And I looked at the waitress—really looked at her.
That waitress had probably been jobless for three months.
We were all locked down. Restaurants were shut.
And like the rest of us, she was probably feeling painfully alone.
But unlike us, she may have had the added weight of worry:
Where’s the next paycheck coming from?
How will I take care of the kids?
What if the café closes again next week?
Now she’s back on the job, wearing a mask over her nose and mouth for 10 straight hours in an overcrowded café.
And from the corner of her eye, she can see a line of 20 more customers outside, waiting to be seated.
She’s probably doing her best to keep up with a tidal wave of requests, all while quietly holding this terrifying truth in the back of her mind:
“This could all disappear again.”
So yeah. From that perspective?
She was doing a hell of a job.
What if she hadn’t worked in three months?
What if she was terrified of losing her job again?
What if she was carrying the weight of bills, kids, or long-haul COVID… and still showed up?
So when the bill came, I tipped her 20 euros on a 40-euro meal.
My friend nearly choked.
“Are you serious? She messed up everything.”
I just smiled and said, “Yeah. But she’s still standing. And I respect that.”
We walked out of that café a little more caffeinated… and a lot more compassionate.
Now here’s where it gets interesting
I kept thinking about it.
Not the guac. Okay, maybe the guac.
But mostly—the power of that one choice.
The choice to see differently. To act differently.
And then a bigger thought hit me:
Why do we do this so rarely, when this is exactly what all our sacred texts ask of us?
What would Jesus do?
If Jesus were in that café, He wouldn’t be muttering under His breath.
He wouldn’t be demanding a free meal.
He’d smile. Tip. Maybe even bless her on the way out.
If you’re Muslim, maybe you’d reflect on the principle of Zakat.
To give without expectation.
To see others through the eyes of mercy, not merit.
But maybe religion isn’t your thing. That’s cool. You still need a compass, right?
So here’s one I love—equal parts spiritual and cinematic legend:
WWKD—What Would Keanu Do?
Yes. That Keanu.
Whether it was his role as Neo in The Matrix, the deadly but noble John Wick, or the ever-optimistic Ted in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure—Keanu Reeves is considered one of the nicest humans on Earth.
And it’s not just fan hype.
It’s the way he lives.
This is a man who…
- Lost the love of his life in a tragic car accident.
- Lost his child before she was born.
- Lost his best friend, River Phoenix, to an overdose.
He’s known loss. He’s known grief.
And maybe that’s why he walks through life with more humility.
More softness.
More presence.
You’ve heard the stories:
- He quietly donates millions to children’s hospitals.
- He buys meals for homeless strangers—no cameras, no PR.
- He gave away most of his Matrix salary to the crew and special effects team.
- He bought Rolex watches for his John Wick 4 stunt team—engraved, personalized.
- He gives up his subway seat without blinking.
- He takes time for every fan, every photo, every hug.
- He mourns privately and deeply… and still shows up with gentleness in his eyes.
So when the world throws you a test—
An annoying waiter.
A rude email.
A delayed flight.
A missing guacamole incident…
You don’t have to fight back.
You can ask:
What Would Keanu Do?
But what if you can’t afford to tip big?
That’s okay too.
Because giving has nothing to do with money.
It has to do with frequency.
One of our Mindvalley teachers, MBA professor Srikumar Rao (author of The Quest for Personal Mastery on Mindvalley), once shared something I’ll never forget.
We were having coffee one afternoon, and he said:
“If a server has an attitude problem or seems cold, I don’t get upset. I play a little game.
I ask myself: Can I put a smile on their face?
Maybe they’re struggling. Maybe they’ve had a hard day.
So I’ll compliment them. Crack a joke. Share warmth.
The goal is simple—just create a smile.”
If you can’t give a tip, give a smile.
Because here’s the truth about giving:
What you give… you receive.
Not in a cosmic law of attraction kind of way.
But in a how you show up kind of way.
And it has nothing to do with how much money you have.
Neale Donald Walsch, speaking at Mindvalley once, said something profound about attracting money by stepping into the energy of abundance.
“You want to be abundant. Here’s my advice.
Even if you only have $5 to your name, break it into singles.
And give $1, just $1, to someone homeless.
That is the energy of abundance.
And when you step into that energy—with just $5 to your name—you begin to attract more.”
Shift. The. Frequency.
I remind myself of this often.
I wear a small cross—not because of religion, but to anchor myself in the energy of Christ.
To remind myself to be softer. Kinder. More compassionate.
Maybe you don’t wear a cross.
Maybe you wear a pin from your favorite Keanu movie—John Wick, The Matrix, Bill & Ted.
Whatever it is… let it ground you.
Let it whisper to you in those tiny, pivotal moments:
WWKD?
What Would Keanu Do?
P.S. What Would Keanu Do? is the mindset exercise I’ll be sharing at orientation at Mindvalley U this summer in Amsterdam.
In fact, I often teach this to our community when we descend on a city—be it Tallinn or Amsterdam—for Mindvalley events.
During the weeks of powerful talks, workshops, and community experiences, I remind our members:
Your job is not just to grow yourself—but to light up the lives of everyone you meet.
From waiters to Uber and Bolt drivers to street cleaners…
Bring some joy to their lives.
And the results?
Phenomenal.
To this day, when I walk through Tallinn, people still say to me,
“I love the people who come to your event. They’re so kind. So respectful. I love serving them.”
And that’s the ripple of conscious community.
That’s how being part of something like Mindvalley rewires you.
You start living outside the default settings of society.
You start tipping… even when the service is bad.
Because you don’t know what’s going on in that waitress’s life.
And when you make that small choice?
You don’t just elevate her day.
You elevate yourself.
And sometimes, that’s how we change the world—one tip, one smile, one moment of grace at a time.
So now it’s your turn
Do you have a story of a time when you chose kindness, especially when the world wouldn’t have expected it?
Share it in the comments.
And tell me what this letter stirred in you.
Note: Mindvalley U, Amsterdam, happens Aug 4 to 18—learn more here. Maybe I’ll see you there. The response has been phenomenal, with ticket sales up 60% from 2024.
Shift. The. Frequency.
Vishen
84 Responses
I was driving in our city when I saw a woman running so hard for a bus with her clothing blowing behind her. I felt sorry that she didn’t catch the bus and pulled into a driveway ahead of her and asked if I could give her a lift. She jumped right into the car without checking me out! I asked where she was going. She could not speak english and just said “doctor”. I said that I didn’t know how to get there and she started pointing. She copied me when she pointed straight, and I said “straight” “left” “right”. She pointed to her stomach and said “7 months”. She wanted my phone number when exiting so we exchanged them. This happened 4 years ago. I am a Christian and she and family are Moslem. Her two older children are 8 yrs. and 9 yrs. That baby now is a toddler and she has had another baby. They are from Myanmar. The first two were born in Malaysia, the last two, here in Canada. I could write a book about this. The children call me Nannie. I have grown and learned so much through this meeting. Of course the reverse is true too. It will be a life long friendship. I didn’t mention that it was an answer to a prayer.
I was experimenting with this abundance principal for the first time focused on 10% tithing. The only way to start was to give it away unanimously cause I was so self-conscious. So I started pain the toll of the person behind me on the freeway. Response was varied. One man followed me, shouting fist clenched,“What do you think I can’t pay?” Another couple chased me for 50 miles down the Florida Turnpike just to thank me. I eventually was able to do larger tips for waitresses. And finally able to anonymously leave money in the mailbox of my main mentor. The fascinating thing was that I might only have $20 in my wallet to spend, but I would have $80 that I had to in some way give away. I never felt anything but abundant, regardless of how much I had to spend on myself.
Hello my dear Vishen, thank you for sharing this story, which will be an invitation to many! One simple act of kindness can make someones day! It is beautiful for the one receiving and for the one giving. We need more compassion in this world. I want to live in a world like this too that’s why whenever we walked to school with my little daughter we did an experiment of how peoples faces change when they receive a “Good morning” from a little girl. It was amazing seeing these smileys and my girl saw what an impact we can have on strangers. Does kindness come back to us? Definitely. I have received 2 direct examples from the unviverse of how goodness back to you, when you don’t think about it. I once found a 5 euro bill on the street, I took it and and that’s when I saw a man who also saw that bill. He seemed in need and I gave it to him. Two days later I found another 5 euro bill. What are the odds?? Another similar example I had with 50 Euro. I donated from my heart and a few days later I won 50 Euro. Might be silly examples but for me, these were clear messages. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with the world. You are an inspiration…. and so is Keanu ❤️❤️❤️
Hola comunidad! Leo con atención cada artículo. No dejo de sorprenderme con algunas propuestas. Cuando haz descubierto y andado el camino del servicio, todos estos valores, empatia, compasión y muchos más, los aplicas cada día, sin cuestionarte. Creo que, el secreto está en volver al corazón. Allí, moran todas las verdades, toda la pureza, toda la paz que necesitamos. Dar, sin esperar nada a cambio, es un gran y difícil aprendizaje. Cálidos abrazos, desde Uruguay 💖🇺🇾
Letters like this give me hope for mankind. If more people knew, how good it feels to be a human instead of an EGO…..always(sooner or later)…
I’m teaching in the university “physiotherapists to be” and there are so many brules about how children should act, be, dress… each year I normally have 120 new first year students. Everyone has to take midterms in my subject which I still think it’s to challanging for first year, but that’s the curriculum. There are some practical exercises, where student work in couples, they need to asses each others posture and in the end of 3.day, they have to represent what they see on each other – to me and other students. And there was a guy, 185cm big, strong, viking kind of type, neat- looking, he was joking all the time in a nice, funny manner but he kept ignoring some of my instructions, not in a rude way…which I thought was interesting. I didn’t respond, I gave him space to carry out the exercise in his own way, although other professors are very strict about following the procedures..and in the end of a 3.day I met the wounded child inside of him-he quietly asked me if it’s possible not to stand in front of the whole class…so I gave students the option to go home early if they wanted after they finish the work…they all did, so he ended up in classroom with his buddy and me, to finish. That evening he sent me a very grateful heartwarming email. And I’m still so happy I chose (and am still choosing) to be an understanding person instead of empty cruel academic authority🥰
Last Saturday, I was at a business networking event. the organizer comment how young I looked and how she was trying to look they she looks with interventions. At the end of the event she mentioned it again. So I let my soul speak. I told her “remember that beauty comes from your light within and not the physical body” She beamed
The lady making lunch at work was known as efficient, but cold and a bit grumpy. I started thanking her daily for lunch when putting my dirty dishes away. After a while she started smiling back at me and came across as much more friendly. I like to believe I made her day.
Thank you for sharing this post, it’s a reminder for everyone to be more kind, with more understanding for others and to act with love.
Love is healing…
Even when life can be difficult for yourself, when it feels like everything is fallen apart, it’s so important to treat one another with love, in the same way you would like to be treated.
Any kind of gesture from out of love in anyway possible, is for me the most important thing in life.
I’ve been struggling my entire life with abuse, rejection, many health issues, bad relationships, couldn’t go to school and have a 9 to 5 job because of my health, you can name it, I’ve been through mostly all of it.
From mental disseases because of traumatic experiences, brain damage and fractures because of an accident in my childhood and some years ago I broke a vertebra in my back.
Doctors told me that I couldn’t walk anymore, but when someone is saying to me that something isn’t possible to do, I always find my inner strenght.
In that way I could heal myself, even when there’s no love or support from someone else around me.
So, I’m walking around again, like to swing around a bit, love to study, keep myself in a good and healthy shape and in that way I’m just enjoying life with all the love I have within.
Because I never received the love or support I needed, I had to learn to survive on my own.
That’s why I always had to manage it all by myself and the thing which made me hold on to it, was and still is my believe in my inner strenght and the love which I’m always carrying in my heart.
Not love just for myself, but specially for every other living being.
For the poor, rich and every one in between, because each person has his own struggles, demons or difficulties in life.
Even a sincere smile from out of love, a moment of sincere intention, just saying hi to someone, you can name it, but everything you can do from out of love, it can make such a difference in someone else his life.
Love is a healing thing and any kind of gesture from out of love is like a gift to someone else his heart. In that way it’s a gift to my heart in return.
I’m living my life that way and for me it’s a blessing.
Dear Vishen,
You got a bit too sentimental; it’s all the same whether you think positively or negatively of the waitress. Do you see her, or do you imagine and project your idea about her? After that comes the preaching (how boring). What has Kenau to do with it? He (I hope) is certainly not doing all the good things…, uh, for you, one of the nicest people in the world; what a ridiculous random platitude. Since Trumpdump, we seem to love to use superlatives, and since an overdone woke regime, we have become so ‘understanding,’ ‘respectful,’ and ’empathetic’ … and egocentric. Do you feel good, America, that ‘we’ still love you??? What an arrogance. And you do feel like a good person because of giving an overdone bragging tip? Instead of putting her in an awkward position and having to be grateful, be interested in her as a person. You can still give her support after getting to ‘know’ her in a more decent way instead of a cheap showing off 20 dollars.
Your event in Amsterdam looks fantastic, but for a person with an average income, it is just too expensive. A $ 20 tip is genuinely a great act of kindness.
Leonie, with my regrets, you didn’t understand anything.
There is definately a lot to find out about this subject. I like all the points you made
Hello,
I liked this article, it was touching and thought-provoking. I agree with a lot of it, but it’s also hard to think like that when someone is trying to make you angry.
I really liked this part: “If you can’t tip, give them a smile”, or cheer them up. I often do this, even if they often don’t understand or maybe even think I’m crazy. But I don’t care, if it feels good to make someone happy, even if they don’t know me, it makes my day better too. And it’s not about the money.
Recently, I have a habit that when I leave home, I pick a small flower that grows on the side of the road. Because it’s summer you can do it easily. This helps me remember how beautiful even simple things are. It helps me be present in the moment, because I take care of the flower, I smell it, I admire its color, its shapes.
Then here comes the focal point:
I watch people on my road, and if I feel that someone needs it, I unexpectedly give the little flower to them to cheer them up. And the result? Always a smile, and a little happiness.
And it’s really nice to see this, to feel that someone’s day has become better because of me.
Because I AM WHO I AM. This is my “stupidity”, and I love it.
Just imagine, for example, a postal worker who does a monotonous job all day, no one notices that she sits there… and suddenly someone puts a flower under her nose because she noticed her, and the important work she is doing…
What if others tried this too?
Could the world be a little better?
I hope so.
Hah! So many incidents that I would like to get another angle on and they are so triggering – each in another way.
That woman who almost through a technician from the stairs – literally – not allowing him to climb to the roof of the building to fix a problem and then destroying my plants deliberately because they don’t grow as she “allows”
That pharmacy person who gave us the wrong medicine for the dog, caused her disseyness and lossing balance, ho[efully not causing liver problems;
And October 7 2023 – please explain compassion in that sense.
What if every customer of a business was always met with a smile and with kindness? What if every patient was treated with great dignity and with kindness? What if every politician ran a campaign centered in fostering joy and kindness? Individual small gestures is how this all starts, and it needs much more to become ubiquitous: Intention, repurposing, structure, and the will to make it happen. This is how I feel we heal the world, one small step at a time, one giant leap over time…
I love this story, people who have felt and understand human suffering are the kindest. I always think when I meet such people, what they have endured for this breakthrough? I see this in my family as we lived amidst civil war and scarcity for a while, and the kindness in our spirit is real, specially from my parents and my older siblings. They are kind first, not because someone was, but a way of life. I will think this way moving forward, WWKD, I love him too. Thank you for this beautiful and powerful message. ❤️
Vishen I didn’t know you tapped into Jesus frequency or even thought of Him. Thank you for sharing and for even taking the time to consider what might be happening in someone’s life.
My daughter lives in a European big city & I was visiting her for nearly a week last week. Staying at her apartment. On the way to the top floor is an elevator and an old woman making sure all day that the elevator runs smoothly. I commented on the way my daughter did not smile or say hi to her. And she said that the lady was rude & only spoke to her sourly in her native tongue & that she did not understand what she said.
I said let’s put a smile on her face then. Next morning I brought some cash, a smile & cute «Hola», & the old lady beamed at me. So your words are so true. Be kind and gentle & shine your light wherever you are. It made the old lady happy & made my heart sing a little bit. Thank you Vishen for everything that you do to this beautiful world.
Hola. Bueno action.
As someone who has been on both sides of the “counter” I really appreciated your insight and reminders of kindness. We never know what someone’s life has been or is like because we have not “walked a mile in their shoes”.
Thank you for this reflection, Vishen. Kindness, presence, and grace are values we all need more of—especially in uncertain times. And you’re right: how we treat others in moments of challenge reveals who we truly are.
Which is why it’s so painful to reconcile this message with what many of us Viome-certified coaches have experienced.
We showed up with trust. We invested in your vision of “partnership,” of being part of a revolutionary health movement. We studied, graduated, and waited. We were promised client referrals, visibility, and an ecosystem of support.
What we received instead? Silence. Abandonment. No clients. No next steps. No meaningful acknowledgment—and even our discount codes were revoked.
Just as you ask us to see and uplift the overlooked waitress… we ask you to see us.
To remember your coaches.
To hold yourself and your company to the same standard of compassion, integrity, and follow-through that this story beautifully describes.
We’re still standing. We’re still waiting. And we still believe that doing the right thing—especially when it’s inconvenient—is how we shift the frequency of the world.
Thank you for this reflection, Vishen. Kindness, presence, and grace are values we all need more of—especially in uncertain times. And you’re right: how we treat others in moments of challenge reveals who we truly are.
Which is why it’s so painful to reconcile this message with what many of us Viome-certified coaches have experienced.
We showed up with trust. We invested in your vision of “partnership,” of being part of a revolutionary health movement. We studied, graduated, and waited. We were promised client referrals, visibility, and an ecosystem of support.
What we received instead? Silence. Abandonment. No clients. No next steps. No meaningful acknowledgment—and even our discount codes were revoked.
Just as you ask us to see and uplift the overlooked waitress… we ask you to see us.
To remember your coaches.
To hold yourself and your company to the same standard of compassion, integrity, and follow-through that this story beautifully describes.
We’re still standing. We’re still waiting. And we still believe that doing the right thing—especially when it’s inconvenient—is how we shift the frequency of the world.
This was beautiful Admin. Thank you for your reflections.