Sometimes, even the simplest human interaction can turn into something miraculous and life-changing. One such interaction recently happened on a New Jersey doorstep, resulting in a launched career and an unlikely friendship.

In a video that blew up on TikTok, we see UPS driver Kyle Thurkauf inquisitively asking, “What’s the deal with all these books?” as he unloads piles of large boxes.

Little did Thurkauf know that he was delivering to Damian Lewis, a first-time author who had recently self-published a motivational guidebook for men titled Call Me First: A Man’s Blueprint to True Leadership at Home.

Upon discovering this, Thurkauf replies, “I’m happy for you, bro!” Before returning to his route, Lewis gifts Thurkauf a free copy.

“Kyle had been dropping off boxes of my books for a while,” explained Lewis in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. “But we had never actually met face to face. It was usually my wife grabbing the packages or he would leave them on the porch. This was the first time we really crossed paths in person.”

Lewis added that he was more than content that Thurkauf took a sincere interest in his work. But then Thurkauf returned days later…not to make a delivery, but to tell Lewis how much he enjoyed the book and ask where it could be bought.

“For him not to have a delivery for me that day, when he came back to tell me how good the book was and to ask me where to get it, it was like, I feel like I made it at that point,” Lewis shared with News 12 New Jersey.

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Pretty soon, that video garnered nearly 34 million views and helped Lewis sell 9,000 copies. This stroke of luck came at a pivotal time, as Lewis informed PEOPLE he had just quit his job in August 2025 to pursue writing full time and was certainly feeling the struggles of self-publishing.

“Things were slow. I had about six weeks of savings left and knew I might have to walk away if something didn’t change. That momentum honestly helped keep me afloat and allowed me to keep chasing the dream instead of walking away from it.”

But perhaps most endearing of all, this viral interaction has inspired a very real friendship between two entrepreneurs. Lewis told PEOPLE that, in addition to being a UPS driver, Thurkauf is also the owner of Preservation Pantry, which sells pickles and jams. Now they are both “talking nearly every day" and “supporting each other’s businesses.”

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“Somehow it turned into something bigger than both of us. I’m just grateful for it,” said Lewis.

As for Thurkauf, he told News 12 New Jersey that he always tries to “provide a close, meaningful relationship” filled with “respect and kindness and gratitude” with every customer.

This lovely story is just a brief, yet oh-so meaningful glimpse into what humans can really accomplish when they extend friendship and kindness to one another.

This Valentine’s Day, we're bringing back our favorite giveaway with Ocean Wise. You have the chance to win the ultimate ocean-friendly date. Our recommendation? Celebrate love for all your people this Valentine's Day! Treat your mom friends to a relaxing spa trip, take your best friend to an incredible concert, or enjoy a beach adventure with your sibling! Whether you're savoring a romantic seafood dinner or enjoying a movie night in, your next date could be on us!

Here’s how to enter:

She’s up before the sun and still going at bedtime. She’s the calendar keeper, the lunch packer, the one who remembers everything so no one else has to. Moms are always creating magic for us. This Valentine’s Day, we’re all in for her. Win an eco-friendly spa day near you, plus a stash of All In snack bars—because she deserves a treat that’s as real as she is. Good for her, kinder to the ocean. That’s the kind of love we can all get behind.

Special thanks to our friends at All In who are all in on helping moms!

Grab your favorite person and get some much-needed ocean time. Did you know research on “blue spaces” suggests that being near water is linked with better mental health and well-being, including feeling calmer and less stressed? We’ll treat you to a beach adventure like a surfing or sailing class, plus ocean-friendly bags from GOT Bag and blankets from Sand Cloud so your day by the water feels good for you and a little gentler on the ocean too.

Special thanks to our friends at GOT Bag. They make saving the ocean look stylish and fun!

Love nights in as much as you love a date night out? We’ve got you. Have friends over for a movie night or make it a cozy night in with your favorite person. You’ll get a Disney and Hulu subscription so you can watch Nat Geo ocean content, plus a curated list of ocean-friendly documentaries and a movie-night basket of snacks. Easy, comfy, and you’ll probably come out of it loving the ocean even more.

Soak up the sun and catch a full weekend of live music at BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach, May 1–3, 2026, featuring Duran Duran, The Offspring, James Taylor and His All-Star Band, The Chainsmokers, My Morning Jacket, Slightly Stoopid, and Sheryl Crow. The perfect date to bring your favorite person on!

We also love that BeachLife puts real energy into protecting the coastline it’s built on by spotlighting ocean and beach-focused nonprofit partners and hosting community events like beach cleanups.

Date includes two (2) three-day GA tickets. Does not include accommodation, travel, or flights.

Stay in and cook something delicious with someone you love. We’ll hook you up with sustainable seafood ingredients and some additional goodies for a dinner for two, so you can eat well and feel good knowing your meal supports healthier oceans and more responsible fishing.

Giveaway ends 2/15/26 at 11:59pm PT. Winners will be selected at random and contacted via email from the Upworthy. No purchase necessary. Open to residents of the U.S. and specific Canadian provinces that have reached age of majority in their state/province/territory of residence at the time. Please see terms and conditions for specific instructions. Giveaway not affiliated with Instagram. More details at upworthy.com/oceandate

We live in a society that prizes ambition, celebrating goal-setting, and hustle culture as praiseworthy vehicles on the road to success. We also live in a society that associates successfully getting whatever our hearts desire with happiness. The formula we internalize from an early age is that desire ambition goal-setting doing what it takes = a successful, happy life.

But as Harvard University happiness researcher Arthur C. Brooks has found, in his studies as well as his own experience, that happiness doesn't follow that formula. "It took me too long to figure this one out," Brooks told podcast host Tim Ferris, explaining why he uses a "reverse bucket list" to live a happier life.

Many people make bucket lists of things they want in life. Giphy

Brooks shared that on his birthday, he would always make a list of his desires, ambitions, and things he wanted to accomplish—a bucket list. But when he was 50, he found his bucket list from when he was 40 and had an epiphany: "I looked at that list from when I was 40, and I'd checked everything off that list. And I was less happy at 50 than I was at 40."

As a social scientist, he recognized that he was doing something wrong and analyzed it.

"This is a neurophysiological problem and a psychological problem all rolled into one........

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