Gabby Reece is a professional volleyball player and was named one of the “20 Most Influential Women in Sports” by Women’s Sports and Fitness. She also had a successful modeling and acting career as a trainer on “The Biggest Loser”. Gabby is the first female athlete to ever design a shoe for Nike.
Gabby Reece tells us she always says “I’ll go first. If I'm checking out at the store I’ll say hello first. If I’m coming across someone making eye-contact I’ll smile first. Not all times, but most times — it comes in your favor.”
Going first allows you to take initiative in your own life and show up intentionally. It allows you to set the tone and decide how you want to approach life and meet others, instead of letting external factors decide how you feel.
When you go first, it can create a new path for you to discover possibilities with strangers OR it can enhance your current relationships. Gabby says, “[other people are] ready, but you have to go first, because we're being trained in this world [to opt out] — nobody’s going first anymore”.
You also never know the impact your actions can have on those around you. Smiling at someone first, a small act for you, might have a big impact on them. If you’ve ever complimented a stranger, you know how it can have a profound effect on you and them! Your day is a little better and so is theirs. The best part is that it is so easy to do.
So why not go first?
Let us know in the comments how you can start going first!
Ferriss, Timothy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers HMH Books, 2016.