Smile

I have always been a big supporter of smiling and smiling often. Sometimes, though, reality gets in the way and we let difficulty or sadness or misfortune get in the way of smiling as often as we should. It's amazing how finding just one small thing even on the toughest of days to smile about can have a massive effect on your soul. I been making a big point of smiling more and finding the happiness in as much as I can. I am trying not to dwell on little things, trying not to let things get me down, trying to see the beauty in things I would walk past before, making of point of giving OTHER people a reason to smile every day. If I can do one thing for a stranger or other person every day to make them smile, I will have accomplished a new goal. Be it helping a neighbor dig out their car, helping someone with a lot in their hands, telling someone they look nice. I have caught myself doing this unconsciously lately and the ability to make someone else smile has been having a profound effect on me. I don't know if it's the new year or the cumulative effect of a very intense past year but I have felt more positive and happy lately then in a while. I have made myself stop complaining about the cold as much and embracing it. I am saying hello to strangers more and telling my friends I love them more. I am seeing the good in many more things. I am appreciating what I have and relishing the good things in my life. I am enjoying solidarity at times and internal peace. I am pushing out the negative and finding the positive. I am smiling.

I'm not sure what it is...being home for a while, being on a new work account, having a new year to reflect on the past year and realize all that it has meant to me, looking around me at all the beauty I'm surrounded in. Whatever it is, I like it and plan on keeping it going.

Find a reason to smile every day.