Today: A powerful but simple lesson that could uplift your life.

As Anne and I boarded a jet from Vancouver to Los Angeles, we saw a flight attendant standing alone in the back of the airplane where she’d been assigned.

From a long narrow aisle in back of 17 rows of tightly configured three abreast small coach seats on each side of her, this 55 ish blond haired woman smiled at us.

As we looked at her, we smiled warmly back and we waved.

Later, during the flight, she approached us and leaned over closely. “Thank you,” she said. “I felt lonely back there. Your smiles and your waves made my day. It made me feel like I mattered.”

“What you do does matter,” I replied. “And it is appreciated.”

In response, her eyes sparkled at us and her smile glowed and we knew we’d uplifted her. In turn her joy uplifted us for we felt good about doing something so simple yet so meaningful for another person.

In a related example, before we boarded that oversold flight two men traveling together were upset because they had been bumped off the flight. As one of those men said to us, “The worst part is nobody [with the airline] cares. If they did, it wouldn’t be so bad.”

We could be helpful to these two men by being good listeners as they vented their anger at the airline and we were helpful to this flight attendant by helping her to feel good about herself. The lesson from the flight attendant and from the two bumped passengers is powerful, yet simple.

Everyone wants to feel like they matter, that they are important. Cosmetics mogul Mary Kay, who built a business empire using this concept, said it best, “Every single person you meet has a sign around their neck – ‘make me feel important.’ “

If you will take a few minutes each day to help others feel that they are important, you will uplift their lives and uplift your own, as you feel good about making a wonderful difference everywhere you go. To others, this makes you a very important person. And in your heart it does as well.