It Only Takes A Smile

A this American life podcast that reminds me of the essence of this blog.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/515/good-guys

The other day I attended a Christmas Fayre and saw my first ever reindeer. I was flabbergasted that they actually existed. Maybe it’s not so far fetched to believe in Santa, elves, and the Xmas spirit that moved even mr Scrooge. Happy holidays 🙂

I find that despite the fact that days are inevitable parts of life, try to move past that for someone. Even if I have an off day, I choose to continue to hand out a gratitude card. With repetition of giving kindness without expectations to strangers, you can’t help but have a shift in mood.

I often wonder when I write these posts who reads them. It has been almost one year since I created this website, and I have given at least 500-1000 of these cards away. Only two people have rejected them, oddly staff at costco (both in la and the uk). I am not sure who reads this website, but I Do believe in the law of attraction. Like attracts like. If we choose to express beauty and gratitude to the world, it does come back. Although this is not the reason I do this, it doesn’t hurt. I do this because I truly am grateful and touched how we serve each other and have the potential to impact each other’s day, even if our interaction was only in a moment. Our interactions have the potential to be positive, negative, or neutral. Why not choose positivity ? It’s virtually free and costs nothing, but the value is more than a monetary tip. And to know that this one card may not only impact the person who receives it but the person they next interact with is priceless.

Long break from blogging, but this weekend I have 4 days off to do nothing but simply relax, swim, and explore the town I live in. Take time to relish how fabulous you are.

As I was planning to relocate to London, people warned me of the standoff nature of the Brits. “There’s a reason why they say the Brits have a stiff upper lip.” And easily I chose to take that advice, and for a week I stopped handing out gratitude cards to those who served me. Incidentally, I also stopped writing down 10 daily things that I am grateful for. What occurred after one week of stopping these activities I had made a habit of? I noticed my mood started shifting towards the negative realm. Serving others and living in gratitude really can shift our mood…

And so I returned slowly to handing out the gratitude cards, creating my daily list of thanks, and even shifted my current woes of homesickness into what brought me here. My passion in serving others doing what I love.

If you have started in some way to choose to brighten a stranger’s day, don’t stop. It not only impacts them, but you as well. Keep it up.

When we set goals in our lives, we must have the capability to dream, confidence to act, and perseverance to achieve. The main ingredient that expedites these dreams into attainment is the humility to sprinkle each goal with how it will serve others.

With each year, my appreciation for my grandmother grows. It’s not often where the owner of a company with over 100 staff members, takes the time to run a standing birthday excel spreadsheet of each of her employees. When the special day comes, each individual is granted with a special gift and card that she personally shops for. She also never forgets a gift for each of them during the holidays and mothers and fathers days. Although she is past the age of retirement, she continues to work endlessly to support her children and grandchildren, sometimes past the point of being spoiled. Her walk in closet has turned into a gift room, full of trinkets and souvenirs to offer almost anyone she encounters. I realize her kindness and gratitude towards those that serve her and who she serves, is always doubly returned to her in the success she continues to achieve. Who in your family has been a role model to you, not just in their financial success, but service to others?