Dearest Darling Friends,

 

You know that saying, “If you don’t know how to smile, don’t open a shop”? It’s got some serious truth to it.

 

We were holidaying in Ayodhya and Banaras last week celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary. (Thank you for your wishes)

 

We stayed at top notch places yet our experiences were quite different.

 

In Ayodhya we stayed at Hotel Panchsheel. At the reception we faced Dilip Sharma with a dead-eyed stare.

 

Have you ever been that customer who walks into a place and gets the dead-eyed stare from someone who is visibly displeased with your presence? Not fun, right?

 

While the Hotel was good, the stay was not. We felt, we are not welcome there. It was an ‘ouch’, ‘why are we here’, kind of an experience. I don’t think we will ever go back there.

 

The story was different at Ramada Inn, Banaras. The bell boy Ramnath Ji (Damn. He was 50 +) was full of enthusiasm. As he ushered us to the room, with great enthusiasm he told us, since we had the suite, the laundry was complimentary.

 

He also asked us, “Should I send some fruits over (complimentary) as it was after lunch time but before Hi-Tea time?”

 

He went on to inform us that Hi-Tea was on-the-house and beamed a huge smile that filled the room. No doubts he got a generous tip from me (even though I am a hard core marwadi).

 

Here’s the thing – it’s not about being fake or plastering on a smile. It’s about genuinely connecting.

 

Sometimes that means simple things like…

• Showing up with some actual energy
• Not treating interactions like a transaction
• Wanting to make life easy for loved ones / clients.
• A real conversation beats a rehearsed script any day.
• Just be genuinely human. Some days we will nail it, some days we won’t.

 

Our vibe attracts our tribe. Seriously. The more authentic we are, the more interesting opportunities start showing up.

 

No complicated philosophy, just basic human connection. Simple, but surprisingly powerful.

 

Hence, the saying goes, “If you don’t know how to smile, don’t open a shop”.

 

I pray that when you read our posts, you feel as if a dear friend is sitting this side, genuinely wanting to connect. Do you feel that?