It Starts With a Smile!

Posted on November 09, 2020 by Tracy Baranauskas, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

A while back as I was enjoying my walk on a crisp, October morning, I passed by an elderly gentleman, who gave me a quick nod and flashed a bright, beautiful smile at me as he walked by. I honestly could feel his warmth deep down in my soul, and it was just what I needed that day, gentle kindness from a stranger.

A little while later, I saw my new friend again on the trail that looped. But this time, he caught my attention because it looked like he was “suspiciously” hiding something behind a tree. I couldn’t imagine what he could be up to, and of course, I had to check it out!

Well to my surprise, I found that he had placed a bright rock with the word “smile” painted on it in the nook of the tree for someone to find!

Then, I intuitively knew why I felt his smile so deeply. It was one-hundred percent authentic! My guess is that he was plotting where he might hide his treasure and thinking about the joy it might bring someone to find it that morning.

Random acts of kindness are amazing for both the giver and the receiver!

As a receiver, it can be such a comforting feeling to know that a complete stranger has gone out of their way to show love to you. I felt this when this fella offered me his warm, friendly smile, and then later when I discovered his secret gift.

And for the giver, the emotional impact can be just as profound. When you generously do something nice for others, it stimulates endorphins in your brain that flush out dismal feelings. Focusing on providing love and compassion to others, can create a sense of perspective and gratitude that makes your own challenges seem smaller and less significant.

It’s so cool to remember that taking the time to offer kindness to other humans creates a win/win situation for all.

I don’t know about you, but the political divide in this country has left me feeling uneasy. Some folks seem hell bent on creating a callous atmosphere of disrespect and animosity that is rather chilling.

It can feel frustrating for the rest of us, like the world is spinning in the wrong direction, and it’s outside of our control.

But remember this quote that is often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

So, are you with me on this?

What if each of us create a plan to help another human out today? What if we go out of our way to show kindness to a stranger, offer compassion to a person who might really need it, or give a gift to someone “just because”.

Imagine the beautiful energy we all could create if this were our focus this week!

It’s time to start turning the ugliness around. We have way more power here than we allow ourselves to believe.

What do you say?