Many years ago I spent a couple of weeks helping a friend. I like helping people, it makes me happy. In a time that could have been filled with problems and worries and stress, my friend breezed through with a smile and full of good cheer. Not only was she happy in herself, she seemed to spread sunshine everywhere she went, leaving smiles scattered behind her. She also attracted good things to her. People offered her just what she needed without her having to even say the need aloud, it was like they anticipated her need and met it before she had to ask. Some people would say she was lucky, and at the time I also thought she had all the luck but when I thought about it later I realised that she created her own luck. In her thoughts, she lived in a happy and helpful world. By her actions she created a happy and helpful world around her.
So began my journey to actively create the world in which I wanted to live. It started with simple things that I copied from my friend such as when purchasing something at a shop I spoke to the shopkeeper and gave them a smile. For me, this was a big step, I’m a bit awkward socially and didn’t usually start conversations with anyone, especially strangers. But, there I was, saying hello, asking how their day was, and showing a genuine interest in their answer. I progressed from small greetings to small conversations and what I found was this – people smiled back, people were helpful, and I left smiles and sunshine behind me too!
It’s not always easy. Sometimes circumstances happen that sway my thinking in a direction that I’m not really wanting to go, but I get swept away with the emotions of the moment, my reactions to what’s happening around me. The important thing for me is that I return to where I want to be and don’t spend too long in that other, less happy, place.
The world we imagine, the way we think, creates the world we live in. What type of world do you want to live in?
Love Laughter Sunshine 