Today has been a hectic start to a day. I was up at 5:30 specifically to get things done and managed to not get the feeling of accomplishing anything. Like I had just woke up and did nothing towards my To-do list. How many times have you had this feeling?
Now lets fast forward a bit to about 10 AM. I am going through Wal-Mart trying to get everything on the list for the week. I am still feeling frustrated about not having that feeling of accomplishing any of my major goals. I come up to the checkout line and run into Evelyn.
She greeted me with a smile I had not received in a long time. Normally I am the one committed to smiling and sharing some joy to others. I usually make the first effort to make eye contact with people and say hi and greet them with a smile. Not today, Evelyn beat me to it. She was taking my groceries in one hand, and bagging in the next. At the same time she was asking how my New Year was going, and how I was managing the cold. Our short two-minute conversation ended with her telling me to have a great day and stay blessed.
I really had no clue about just happened. I was filled with so much joy all of a sudden. All the things to get done written in my Phone did not matter. A complete stranger just warmed my soul to the point that I came out of the Wal-Mart smiling and I had an extra pep in my step. So what is the reason I am telling this story?
Imagine how much joy each one of us can bring to the table. I mean here this woman was working at a store and she changed my whole day in two minutes. How many people do you cross paths with daily that may need a simple pick me up. The kind Evelyn gave me. Now why is it so hard to do that?
The main reason is because we don’t do what Evelyn does during the day; we do what I was doing. I was focused so heavily on me. What did I need to do? Why haven’t I done that yet? Where can I find help for me? Evelyn on the other hand was curious about others. She wanted to know about others. Now granted she was at work and that is her job to ask how I am doing, however her sincerity was felt and I know everyone reading this can vouch that not everyone in store checkouts are warm and nice.
What I got out of that short time with Evelyn is that there is so much more to life then just ourselves. Reaching out to others will give you that very feeling of accomplishment that I lacked in the early morning. If I take care of me but also help people I come across will I not feel like I am doing much more and accomplishing more? Take time to lend a helping hand. Sometimes your smile and a couple minutes of your time is all that is needed to change a day!
Own yourself! Run your life!
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