A smile can go a long way- I think I've realized that today. Today is a stressful day for people- it's Election Day and all of my friends are on edge even though they have no say in what happens. My personal opinion on the elections is that at this rate; our country has already been in the toilet and this election won't change that one way or another. If anything, things will get worse. In any case, that's not what this post is about.
I'm writing this as I sit in the car on the way home from the grocery store. The grocery store was pretty packed today and almost everyone looked like they were upset- workers included. This struck me as unusual; since most of the time the workers at this particular store have a cheery disposition. After about 5 minutes of walking through the clusters of people in the aisles, I decided to make it my mission to smile at anyone who looked particularly unhappy and see if I could make a difference. I tried this for the rest of the time at the store and actually succeeded in making a few people smile back at me. I just can't believe we've gotten to a time where people won't reciprocate smiles. If a random stranger is taking time out of their day to smile at you- you could at least somewhat acknowledge their effort. That being said, I do recommend smiling at strangers. You never know the impact something so small could have on someone's outlook for the day. An example of this? I had mild anxiety in the store due to the amount of people, so in the beginning I imagine i didn't look too happy myself. However, 3 people complimented my hair and it really made me smile- particularly since I put a lot of effort into making my hair look nice. It's the little things, folks. - maddie
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I found this quote on tumblr, and I chose to write about it because last night I actually did remember someone's random act of kindness towards me. When people say that there is never an act of kindness too small; they aren't kidding- sometimes all it takes is a small compliment to turn someone's day around. And that's all this little memory was- a simple compliment given to me by my friend's cousin about a month ago. It was nothing overly significant, yet I still remember (and appreciate) it.
It is because of the honesty of this quote that I constantly try to compliment people. If we're out at a store and we're checking out, I always try to find something I can compliment the cashier on- be it her makeup, her jewelry, or her hair. I'll never lie about something, but I enjoy making people smile and feel good about themselves.. and knowing that it could be the push they need to get their mood feeling better makes it even better. I'll say it again- there's no act of kindness too small. And I really think that people tend to forget that, too. They feel that if they can't be over-the-top with their kindness, it won't be appreciated- but it will be. A simple compliment, taking the time to talk to someone, remembering the little things about people- that's what people will like, perhaps even more than over-the-top try-hard gestures. I always prefer the little things. I guess it matches up with my policy in life, of always finding the little things to make myself happy. I guess it carries over, since I feel the need to point out the little things to other people who I encounter in my life, too. - Maddie This quote is possibly one of the best I have come across in a long while... and recently; I've come to find more appreciation for it. As I've been slowly getting older (odd to be hearing from a 14 year old, but hey, we age too) I've been finding more and more reasons why silence is better than talking, and that isolation can sometimes be a lot better than being social. For one, my house is constantly noisy due to my little sister being young; so any moment of pure silence and relaxation is much appreciated. My house in general is loud- my family do not hesitate to make noise; be it with loud music, cooking, cleaning, yelling, talking, phone calls, or anything else.
-side note- The quietest times for me are often in the very early morning, before anyone else is awake. I usually make myself a cup of tea and watch the sun rise; before doing a little work and then resting on the couch. - In any case; that was NOT the point of this post! What I'd like to point out is the fact that too many people open their mouth to spread hate, negativity, and worry nowadays. I hear it and see it almost everywhere; online and in reality, and it sucks. In my opinion, life is too short and life after death isn't guaranteed. We were all placed on this one planet to get along and coincide; and instead, we go to war with each other. We're so desperate to learn about the life on other planets; when we can't even accept those of our own kind who are slightly different. It's ridiculous how hateful we, as humans, can be towards each other and it's really un-necessary. This being said, I think all of us can do with a bit of silence for once. We become so angry, so willing to antagonize others in the heat of the moment, and it's awful. So I have a challenge for my readers; as a way to calm down and be happier. This challenge may be a bit big, but I want you to try and at the end of next week, leave me a comment telling me about your experience. Here goes! I wants you to: - take at least one relaxing, long bath. - make yourself a cup of green tea every morning. - find 30 minutes every day to sit and meditate. - take at least 15 minutes every day outside in a secluded area, enjoying nature. - refrain from saying negative things to others. - if angered, take deep breaths until calm. - don't speak unless what you are about to say has some sense of positivity in it. There's too much hate in the world. Let's beat it back a little. Good luck, good night, and treasure the silence. - Maddie I love this quote so much because I relate to it. I'm pretty sure most people can; to be honest. For those of you who suck at translating even the most basic of metaphors; this quote is essentially saying to make people happy when you can, and to cheer up those who you see are down as best you can if it happens to be within your capabilities. Sometimes, it doesn't even take that much to make someone's day!
Honestly; I try to compliment most people I run into. Usually; I can always find something I like about a person and if it makes them smile even a little bit; I feel accomplished. Some people really can use the lift up, you know? Some people I believe just walk around and think nobody takes the time they put into their appearance- especially girls. So when I can, I'll compliment a girl on her makeup or hairstyle; because I know all too well that we females take forever in the mornings perfecting our wings and contours and even our eyeshadow blending; and sometimes braiding our hair in all manner of fancy styles. So often; people fail to notice it and it's always nice when someone does. I guess the point I wanted to get across in this post is that it doesn't take much to be the rainbow in someone's cloud. While there are far greater gestures that you can do to make others happy; sometimes a simple compliment is all it takes to turn someone's mood around... and I'm always glad to help when I can. - Maddie "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant." That is a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson. Okay, although not a household name today, Stevenson was very popular during his day. In fact, while I would think that less than 25% of the sheeple could name him, I think most would have heard of one or the other of his two most popular works, which remain in print today even though he wrote them in the early 1880's. So for those of you who don't know, Stevenson Wrote The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Treasure Island. Although these are his works that still get read today, he was a very popular travel writer in his day, as well as a poet and political activist. A very interesting character, if you have nothing better to do some day and want to read about him.
To get back to his quote, I think it is important to take your eyes away from what you are getting and to look at what you are giving. For it's what you give that will ultimately come back to you in multiples. Many of the happiest people I know are always giving. Not giving money, mind you, but time. Their time. They may give it in small intervals, or in large blocks. It may be a second to give a smile or a moment to pass along a kind word. In the end, Time is all we have with value. Buy a new car and it loses about 20% of its value the minute you drive it off the lot. Give a person a smile and they may remember it for ever! Same with five minutes of your time. Take a few minutes to sit down and chat with someone you know. As long as they are not late for an appointment or something, I will guarantee that they will appreciate it and remember it. If you want to be happy, then plant seeds of happiness. You do this with your time and manner. Meanwhile, if you plant the wrong seeds, you are setting yourself up for a harvest of discord in the future! If you smile and say a kind word, you are more likely to get that in the future. And the funny thing is, while you may be planting the seed and thinking that it only impacts one person, you are wrong. People can and will see what you do... and treat you accordingly. I know that if I constantly see someone smiling... even if they are not smiling at me, I am more likely to smile when I speak to them or if I am around them. Why? I am not certain. I think it is because I like to make people feel comfortable and if they are smiling, then I have a tendency to imitate them to some extent. It is the same with someone who is always zinging other people. I find I am more likely to throw a zinger at them than nearly any other person. I try not to zing anyone, but sometimes I just feel that a person deserves a zinger, particularly if they have been undeservedly zinging someone else. To tie things up. Spend time treating people the way you yourself want to be treated, and I think that over time, you will find that you will be surrounded by people who will treat you the same way. Trust me on this, talk nicely with people and they will speak nicely with you. Treat them nicely and they will return the favor. That is how life works! My life anyway. Well, usually. There will always be one or two people who will be acidic no matter what you say or do. Still treat these people politely, but don't expect too much in return. You can call a car a jet plane, but it ain't ever gonna fly! One more thing. One of our readers gave me a beautiful card the other day that really helped to lift my spirits, and I just wanted to say thank you. I'll say it to you in person at karate too, but I suspect you read this blog and I just wanted you to know that I was thinking about that card while I was writing this post. A kind word can go a long way! Thank you! |
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