Recently, I have made some friends who have taught me A LOT about how being positive, and relying on Gods truths about myself, can literally be life changing for me and everyone around me. First, I had one friend open up and tell me, "I am going to try and achieve my goal of not being negative." Hmmm...I hadn't even thought of that. It planted a seed, so to speak. Then, another friend, wow. Her positivity, man, its powerful. We would talk or text and anything I would say, she was always able to launch a POWERFUL, encouraging, positive arrow right back at me. Sometimes, I would be asking for advise, sometimes I would be complaining...no matter what, she always had something incredibly uplifting to say. Sometimes, and I'll admit, initially, that can be annoying. Like, seriously? Are you for real? But it got to the point where, when I was communicating with her, I was constantly thinking of positive things I could share with her. I didn't realize it initially...but it started spreading around me like wild fire. I couldn't say enough positive things. I would spot positive things in places I never even thought to look. When I would see myself being negative or complaining to other friends, I would apologize. It was allowing me to not allow others negativity to get me down. I wasn't trying to to "jump on the band wagon" but rather be a source of life giving encouragement to everyone I talked to.
This last month was a little rough on our family (but just a teeny itty bit). Coming back from CA trips is always rough because we miss everyone so much and then we got smacked over and over with a ton of cooties!!! I found myself losing that joy and really letting myself slip into the woe is me pit. It wasn't pretty, friends. I finally got myself the little knock on the noggin that I needed. A few people shared how they really just changed their entire environment with a few kind words...and then, I remembered how good it felt to breathe life into people, and how life changing it was for me...so...I got back on the positive train!
Yesterday, I was in a waiting room. A woman stormed in and you could just tell, she was not the happiest camper. She signed her name in. No one was at the counter. There was only one person working and she was in the back taking care of a client. I had been waiting for about 15 minutes. She rolled her eyes as she took a seat. With about every 3rd breath, she let out a VERY annoyed sigh. Typically, because I'm super shy, I don't talk to people I don't know. I obey my mommy's advise, and "DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS!" haha. But I was getting so annoyed with this woman. I have never seen someone so impatient and she was really getting on my nerves. I thought, "I'm going to ask her to knock it off and have a little patience!!" Then another man walked in, and she huffed in ways that could only let this man know, we were doomed, in this waiting room together, for life! So I sat, I tried to muster up the courage...and then I thought, "Wait, I wonder if I could make a difference with a different approach..." I quickly looked her up and down, sweatsuit, running shoes...nope, purse...THAT'S IT!!!!
"Wow, I love your purse...it is so bright and colorful!" I cheerfully said. (this was a white lie, but it didn't matter)
The lines in her face vanished. She smiled, "Oh, thank you! Its my favorite colors."
She started chatting with me and the man who had joined us also chimed in. The darkness in the room was instantly, and I mean INSTANTLY, gone!!! I seriously couldn't believe it. I felt like I had witnessed a tiny miracle. And it fueled my positive fire like nothing else.
So, I'm going to keep on chugging. It isn't easy for me to talk to strangers, in fact, its REALLY hard. But I changed a few moments in that woman's life (even if her blood pressure was the only part of her that recognized it) and it was amazing.
Try it...guanteed, it willstart changing everything and everyone around you.
