How to Instantly Make People Feel Good - DarrenDaily On-Demand

Podcast Summary

Episode Title: How to Instantly Make People Feel Good

Podcast: DarrenDaily On-Demand
Host: Darren Hardy
Date: February 18, 2025

Overview

In this heartwarming episode, Darren Hardy shares a touching story emphasizing the power of small acts of kindness and their impact on others' lives. Through the narrative of a New York City cab driver and his elderly passenger, Darren spotlights the idea that it’s not always grand gestures that matter most — often, seemingly mundane moments become the most meaningful. He encourages listeners to focus not just on what they do or say, but on how they make others feel in every interaction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Story of the Cab Driver and the Elderly Woman

[00:13 – 02:48]

Story Introduction:
Darren retells a story (originally by former NYC cabbie Kent Nurburn) in the first person for emotional effect.
The Last Ride:
The cab driver is tempted to ignore a late-night pick-up, but instead chooses to assist an elderly woman.
First Encounter:
The cabbie describes the woman as frail, in her 90s, dressed in a print dress and vintage hat, with a suitcase—her apartment seemingly abandoned and packed up.
Showing Kindness:
He helps her to the car, and she thanks him repeatedly for the courtesy. The driver tells her, “I just try to treat all my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.”
Memorable quote [00:53]:

“I just try to treat all my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.”
Choosing the Scenic Route:
The woman requests to drive through downtown, saying she’s “in no hurry” and is on her way to hospice. The cabbie notices her getting emotional—she has no family left and not much time remaining.
Empathy and Patience:
The driver turns off the meter (“I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.” [01:39]) and spends two hours driving her, revisiting places from her past—her workplace, her neighborhood, a ballroom.
Silent Moments:
Sometimes they pause in front of old landmarks as she quietly reminisces.

2. The Farewell

[02:48 – 04:02]

Arriving at Hospice:
The cab arrives at a small convalescent home. Staff is waiting to receive the woman.
A Final Gesture:
The woman tries to pay, but the cabbie refuses payment. He hugs her, and she expresses gratitude:
Notable quote [03:39]:

“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy, she said. Thank you.”
Reflection:
The cab driver is deeply moved, reflecting that he’s never done anything more important; he drives aimlessly afterward, lost in thought.

3. The Lesson

[04:02 – 05:05]

Small Moments, Big Impact:
Darren highlights the central message:

“We are conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a very small one.” [04:18]
How We Make People Feel:
He reminds listeners that people always remember how we made them feel, not just our actions or words.
A Call to Action:
Darren encourages the audience:

“Let’s all be cognizant of that today and in every interaction that we have. Let’s do all we can to make people feel great, no matter their circumstance.” [04:53]

Notable Quotes

“I just try to treat all my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.”
Kent Nurburn via Darren Hardy, [00:53]
“You gave an old woman a little moment of joy, she said. Thank you.”
Elderly woman (story), [03:39]
“We are conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a very small one.”
Darren Hardy, [04:18]
“Remember that people may not remember exactly what you do or what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”
Darren Hardy, paraphrasing Maya Angelou, [04:46]

Important Timestamps

[00:13] — Darren introduces the story of the cab driver and the elderly woman.
[01:39] — Driver turns off the meter and chooses to do the right thing.
[02:48] — The drive comes to an emotional close at the hospice.
[03:39] — “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
[04:18] — Darren drives home the episode’s big lesson about the value of small moments.
[04:53] — Darren encourages listeners to go out and make others feel great.

Episode Takeaway

This episode gently reminds listeners that our greatest impact can come from simple acts of kindness and compassion. Whether a grand gesture or a minor courtesy, the way we make others feel can leave a lasting imprint, often when we least expect it. Darren inspires us to carry this awareness through each day, consciously choosing to uplift those around us.

Transcript

A (0:01)

Welcome to Darren Daly on Demand, your most trusted resource to help you become better every day. Here's your success mentor, Darren Hardy.

B (0:13)

Recently I read a story written by a former New York City cab driver, Kent Nurburn, that reminds us of an important idea here today. I'll tell it to you in his first person, he said. I arrived at the address and honked a horn. After waiting a few minutes, I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of the shift, I thought about just driving away. But instead I put the car and parked, and I walked up to the door and knocked. Just a minute, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something that was being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress with a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if nobody had lived there for years. All the furniture was covered with white sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks, no utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. Would you please carry my bag out to the car? She asked. I looked at the suitcase. I took it to the cab, and I returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly towards the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. It's nothing, I told her. I just try to treat all my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated. Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and asked, could you drive through downtown? It's not the shortest way, I answered quickly. Oh, I don't mind, she said. I'm in no hurry. I. I'm on my way to hospice. I looked in the rearview mirror and her eyes started to water. I don't have any family left, she continued in a soft voice. The doctor says I don't have very long. I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. What route would you like me to take? I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She pulled up in front of an old furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow and stop right in front of a particular building or at a corner, and she would just sit, staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the sun started to set on the horizon, she suddenly said, I'm tired. Let's go now. We drove in silence to the address that she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were attentive. They were watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took out the small suitcase and took it to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. How much do I owe you? She asked, reaching into her purse. Nothing, I said. But you have to make a living, she answered. There are other passengers, I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent down and I gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. You gave an old woman a little moment of joy, she said. Thank you. I squeezed her hand and then I walked back to my cab. Behind me, a door shut. It was the closing sound of a life closing. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought for for what was the rest of that night. I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or I had honked once and then driven away on a quick review? I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We are conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware, beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a very small one. So, my Darren daily friends, take this with you throughout the day. Remember that people may not remember exactly what you do or what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Let's all be cognizant of that today and in every interaction that we have. Let's do all we can to make people feel great, no matter their circumstance. Hey Darren here again, quickly. I am so thrilled that you are enjoying the production of Darren Daly on demand. I don't want you to lose sight of how important it is that you stay consistent or get yourself subscribed if you aren't, to the every morning discipline of the actual Darren Daly. The transformational magic is in the process, not just the information or the big idea. It is in the ritual and routine to how you kickstart your day. It's calibrating your mind to focus on that one idea and apply it to that very day. Knowledge does not change your life behavior does. The action you take on that idea, one idea each day, compounded over time, is what creates the transformational results. Go to darrendaily.com if you're not already subscribed and I will see you there bright and early tomorrow morning.