3 tacos and 1 important lesson

“Can I get three Asada tacos, please? Thank you!”

He smiled as he rang up our order. The owner no longer asks if I want green or red salsa because he remembers that I always ask for green.

We visit Max-Tac often. Not only is it close to our home, but we’re striving to spend our money more intentionally. My husband and I live in a location surrounded by family-owned, community-focused restaurants and small businesses, and we enjoy supporting these places (and people) and our broader community.

Our order is ready. The owner kindly thanked us for our business and sent us on our way with our dinner. As we left, I snapped some photos of the truck, looked at my husband, and said, “Tonight, I’m going to leave Max-Tac a five-star Google review and post about them on social media to show our support!”

And so I did precisely that:

It was a small act that took me no more than three or four minutes (and something I’m consistently trying to do more for small businesses because I know every review helps).

I posted the review and didn’t think much else of it.

Fast forward to last weekend, when we visited Max-Tac yet again.

As I approached the window, the owner grinned from ear to ear. He almost looked excited to see me.

“Three Asada tacos for me, please, and thank you!” I said before stepping away from the window. My husband finished placing the rest of the order for himself and my father-in-law. The three of us stood together and chatted briefly while we waited for our dinner.

As soon as the order was ready, the owner looked at us, making eye contact with me.

“Are you Alyssa?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s me!” I exclaimed.

“Thank you so much for your Google review. We appreciate it! These are from us,” he said, handing me a can of Jumex for each of us.

I grabbed the cans with a happy heart and a big smile and told him we’d see him soon. I was so touched that he recognized me and responded with such a kind gesture.

They say that when you buy or order from a small business, the owner does a happy dance (or sees you as a valued customer). I’m a big believer in spending your money intentionally as much as you can.

But there’s another lesson: Intentional acts don’t need to be grandiose to have an impact. The decision to spend a few minutes posting a review online led to a moment of impact I’ll never forget.

If you’re near Denver or ever passing through and like street tacos, grab a bite from Max-Tac on 21st and Federal.

No matter where you are, I hope you’ll consider engaging in a small, intentional act that will leave an impact in the coming weeks. If you do, please tell me about it!

Time Well Spent: Weekly Roundup

1. Last Friday, it was 65 degrees and sunny here in Denver, and I sat outside on my balcony and basked in the sun, closing my eyes occasionally to soak it all in. Wind chimes twinkled in the distance, and the light breeziness of the wind created a nearly perfect scene. This moment reminded me how often I (maybe we?) get so distracted by daily stressors (work, traffic, minor inconveniences) that I forget how wonderful it is to exist. Sometimes, we all need that reminder.

2. Olivia Zanca and I have worked for the same client for the last few years, collaborating asynchronously on exciting projects. We recently realized that we’re practically neighbors and had a chance to meet in person for the first time last week. I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. Meeting someone for the first time only to hit it off immediately is a feeling I wish to bottle up and share with others.

3. I came across Doing Nothing With Your Favorite People Is Really, Really Good for You this week (on LinkedIn, I think, but I can’t seem to find who posted about it—sigh). It’s a fantastic read about the value of unstructured time and how to feed your soul by spending time with your favorite people without busy plans.

The Takeaways

• What actions (big or small) can you take when you need to step back from the busyness and stressors of the day? Spend five or more intentional minutes with yourself to reset and reflect.

• When did you last lose track of time in an intentional conversation with someone? Who was it with? How might you invite more of these opportunities into your world?

• Where can you create space for more unstructured but intentional time in your life? Who do you want to spend unstructured time with? 

These and all past questions are on the Intentional Journaling Prompts page! ✏️

Time Intentional 🕰️ Reader Love 💞

• A big thank you to my sister, Jaiden, for supporting me on Buy Me a Coffee last week!

• Thanks to Lynn and Jody for sending me notes with kind words about Time Intentional! And to David for emailing me and sparking a great conversation about last week’s issue.

• Shout out to Brenda for leaving a comment on last week’s issue about her love for Hallmark movies!

I’m Alyssa Towns, and this is Time Intentional, a newsletter exploring what it means to spend our limited (and precious) time intentionally. Only you can decide how to spend your time in a way that feels intentional!

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In addition to writing Time Intentional, I’m a freelance writer and content creator who enjoys partnering with brands to build better workplaces (because we spend a lot of time at work!). Learn more about my areas of specialization on my website!

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