“Whoever gives reverence receives reverence: whoever brings sugar eats almond cake.” Djalal ad-Din Rumi
“There’s no shop that sell kindness; you must build it within. You can transplant hearts, but you cannot transplant a warm heart.” Dalai Lama
There has been a lot spoken and written lately about Obama smiling when greeting other world leaders. I have always felt that a smile is one of the most potent weapons in the world. You can disarm someone who is angry with a smile. You can also make someone’s day with a smile.
A few year’s ago I was at a busy Mall. I was walking towards the door when a young African-American boy around ten years old ran past me. It turned out that he wanted to get to the door first so that he could open it for me. It was an act of kindness for a total stranger. I thanked him returning a smile for a smile. I also turned to his Dad and thanked him and told him his son was a real gentleman. I can still see Dad’s smile.
There have been times when I am doing my grocery shopping run that I will notice elderly women who have taken great pains to look their best. You can tell from the little that is in their cart that they are living alone. For them the high point of the week is to do this shopping because it gets them out of their lonely homes and at least seeing people. I always try and stop and give these women a smile and see if there is anything I can help them find. It is a random act of kindness that and takes only a few moments of my time. For the ladies however it may be the only real interaction they will get from a human being that week.
A true smile that comes from the heart is a sign of strength not weakness. A true smile says I have the inner peace and serenity that will allow me to approach anything calmly. You can’t truly smile if you are upset or angry.
A smile is a simple little facial movement that can show the world you are comfortable in your own being and it can be the one little moment that will makes someone’s week. Try it.
“There’s no shop that sell kindness; you must build it within. You can transplant hearts, but you cannot transplant a warm heart.” Dalai Lama
There has been a lot spoken and written lately about Obama smiling when greeting other world leaders. I have always felt that a smile is one of the most potent weapons in the world. You can disarm someone who is angry with a smile. You can also make someone’s day with a smile.
A few year’s ago I was at a busy Mall. I was walking towards the door when a young African-American boy around ten years old ran past me. It turned out that he wanted to get to the door first so that he could open it for me. It was an act of kindness for a total stranger. I thanked him returning a smile for a smile. I also turned to his Dad and thanked him and told him his son was a real gentleman. I can still see Dad’s smile.
There have been times when I am doing my grocery shopping run that I will notice elderly women who have taken great pains to look their best. You can tell from the little that is in their cart that they are living alone. For them the high point of the week is to do this shopping because it gets them out of their lonely homes and at least seeing people. I always try and stop and give these women a smile and see if there is anything I can help them find. It is a random act of kindness that and takes only a few moments of my time. For the ladies however it may be the only real interaction they will get from a human being that week.
A true smile that comes from the heart is a sign of strength not weakness. A true smile says I have the inner peace and serenity that will allow me to approach anything calmly. You can’t truly smile if you are upset or angry.
A smile is a simple little facial movement that can show the world you are comfortable in your own being and it can be the one little moment that will makes someone’s week. Try it.
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