Smile! It Gives Your Face Something to Do!

Smile!  It Gives Your Face Something to Do! 

I absolutely, with no doubt whatsoever, love people who can always find a reason to smile!  People who smile just light up the world!  Don’t cha think?  How much time does it take to smile at the people you pass on the street or in the store?  Does it really take that long to smile at that person with the big frown, the one that you can see isn’t having a great day?  Not long, I’m sure.  Just that one little smile can go a very long way.  Doesn’t it make you feel good when some stranger you’ve never seen before gives you a big ‘ole smile?  Conversely, a big smile makes everything brighter and you think, “Oh, they seem so nice!”  As Steve Maraboli said, “It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needs it, it can last a lifetime.”  I believe that no truer words have ever been spoken! 

One weekend, my family and I were down in Hollywood at the El Capitan Theater to see a movie.  My brother, sisters, and I were all excited to see the film; we couldn’t wait to eat the goodies from the snack bar.  You see, we are especially fond of the buttered popcorn and the sodas; we don’t get those at home!  Well, we were all out front of the theatre waiting to go inside and take our seats; we weren’t really paying attention to much, except for ourselves, just kind of goofing around.  The sidewalks were full of people wandering around looking into the shops before the movie, trying to find that “special” souvenir.  Everyone seemed to be involved in their own personal dramas, with little thought of much else.   

I was feeling especially happy; but then, all of the sudden, I had an odd sensation.  I felt a sadness as I looked up and into the face of an old man.  He was shuffling down the sidewalk; he appeared to have something wrong with his foot, because he was limping.  He carried a bag with all kinds of things poking out; it looked like he had a sleeping bag, too.  His clothes were dirty and ragged and the expression on his face looked downcast and melancholy.  As I looked around me, it appeared that the other people that saw him either were looking away, or kept their eyes down at the ground.  No one seemed to want to look at him.  I remember having a sick feeling inside my tummy, thinking how I would feel if no one wanted to look at me.  I know I would feel lonely, I can tell you that!

Well, I decided right there and then; I shouldn’t, I wouldn’t, I couldn’t, ignore him like everyone else.  As I walked by him, I looked right up into his eyes, smiled my best smile, and gave him a bright, joyful, hello!  Well, can you guess what happened?  I could actually see his eyes light up and he returned to me a magnificent smile, it lit up his face.  It made me feel all warm inside because I knew, absolutely and positively, that I had made a difference in someone else’s life! 

Our world would be a much more pleasant place if people would show those teeth of theirs a little more often!  So, when you have nothing better to do, remember to smile, because “it gives your face something to do.”  My grandma had a picture on the wall in her bedroom that said this and it made me smile when I was little.  She gave it to me and now it hangs in my room.  Always remember, until you have that really dreadful day, you will never really know what a huge impact just one big, blinding smile can make!  Make that difference today!

Lemons & Smiles

Lemons & Smiles

             “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”  This simple quotation by Dale Carnegie, I believe, is actually one that can be life changing.  Making the best of what we have and not dwelling on what might have been, or should have been, or even could have been, will set us on the path to fulfilling our potential.  The simple truth is that, whatever it is that you have, that is all that you have.  You must work with it, or fail, because you have nothing else!  Wishing for something different will not change the facts of the situation.

                We all know those that continuously whine when circumstances aren’t exactly as they envisage.  Nothing is ever their fault; it is always someone else that is to blame.  Do you notice anything else that these individuals have in common; yes, that’s it; they are almost universally, failures.  Everything must be exceptional, that extraordinary job, that phenomenal person, the perfect conclusion; nothing else will do, and consequentially, nothing is ever accomplished.

This quote seems to tie in with, “It is what it is.”  Now, this just happens to be my momma’s favorite saying, she has probably said this at least once a week for my entire life.  Of course, I listened, well halfway anyway, mostly I just smiled.  Well, guess what; one day, something changed. 

When I was about eleven years old, I would always get this terrible, agonizing pain in my knee whenever I played soccer.  At first, I just wore a knee brace, hoping that it would help, and for a while, it did.  It never completely freed me from my pain, but it was good enough for me to play again.  Since the pain kept coming back my parents took me to all kinds of doctors and specialists, but nothing, and no one, seemed to help.  I was terrified that I would never be able to play again, but I realized that there was nothing I could do about it.  It was what it was.  Fortunately, after four years, I found out what was really wrong; part of my knee was out of place.  This amazing lady  pushed back into place for me and told me that I wouldn’t be able to play for two months; I would have to go through therapy.  Of course, it was upsetting, but what could I do?  I just had to look at the bright side and realize that I would be back out on the field in no time.  

“Making lemonade,” making the best of any situation, this is what makes one person able to succeed and another to suffer nothing but continuous failure.  Taking a disappointment, turning it into a challenge, this keeps us always striving to be our best.  It makes us learn to depend upon ourselves and come to the realization that we can do it!  We learn new strategies, gain new insights; in other words, we determine to get it done, no matter what!  This teaches us to challenge life, not simply let it happen.

So, what is it that have I learned throughout my life?  Well, if momma or daddy comes home from the store with way to many lemons, don’t be distressed that they may rot and go to waste.  Squeeze them, make a lemon meringue pie, bake a cake, and use them all up!  Make lemonade!  It all starts with you.  You cannot expect others to do anything if you are not willing to do it yourself.  Set the example, work it out, and get on with life!

Love Your Life?

Love Your Life?

          Confucius said something profound many years ago, and it is truly ageless; “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”  Really, could there possibly be anything more indubitable about the essence of life?  I find this to be especially relevant to me.  I have discovered that when I am working on something that I enjoy, the time just seems to fly and I notice a real sense of accomplishment.  I relish the time spent and actually anticipate another challenge.  I love what I am doing!

            For many people, finding a career begins when they enter college.  Choosing something just because, “These classes are so easy!” or, “Hey man, this job makes really big bucks!”, may greatly affect your life.  If you do not choose something you enjoy, will you really want to wake up every morning and seize the day?  Will you be able to look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see, will you have, “sold out”!  When reality knocks on your door, and it will, you will suddenly realize that you must go to work every day until you retire, doing a mundane job that brings no joy to your life.

            Should you be lucky enough to find something that you genuinely enjoy and make a career of that, will you really be working?  For example, major athletes paid to play the sport they love, are they really working?  You love interacting with children, you choose to be a teacher.  Will it really feel like work when a child peers into your eyes and says, “Wow, now I get it”?  Sailing and feeling the warm sun, the wind, and the salt spray, whipping your face may bring you true joy.  Would the marine biologist fighting to free that whale caught in the fishing net be a job to you?  Doing what we love!  It brings endless fascination and anticipation to every day.  If you happen to be lucky enough to be well paid for your efforts, even better, but it is certainly not necessary for happiness.

            Finding yourself working at a job for material compensation only might very well bring you a life of misery.  Money can bring you nice cars and beautiful homes, all the perks, and many will think you have it all.  But, will it truly bring you pleasure and contentment?  When it comes to a relationship, will you know they love you or, perhaps, love your money?  

Can your job choice really affect your future?  Absolutely, I believe most would say.  I’m a happy person and I love to be active.  If I got stuck with a dreary office job, that would be terrible, I might have to commit harry carey.  I want to wake up in the morning with a big ‘o smile on my face, ready for work.  I want to enjoy what I do so that I can be a good example for my family, and support them in the best possible way.  I don’t want to have to wake up one day and realize, “I should-a, could-a, would-a.”  I just wanna hear the birds sing, see the sun shining down, and smell the flowers on the warm scented air.  What-a life!         

Up & At 'Em

Up & At 'Em

The wise Aristotle, born in the year 384BC, said, “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.”  Benjamin Franklin, in 1735, later paraphrased by saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  I grew up hearing this age-old saying, from both my mom and my dad.  For as long as I can remember, they always told me that it was important that I go to bed early so that my brain could get the rest it needed.  When I went to bed early, I also had to get up early so that I could prepare for the day with a clear head.  Of course, when I got up early, I had plenty of time for exercise sometime during my day, no excuses there!  As for the “wealthy” part, well, I haven’t quite reached that point yet, but it’s a little early for that.  I think the fact that I awake with a positive attitude, ready to challenge the day, can certainly improve my chances of achieving a fair income one day.                                        

           This saying was especially important in early mid-America when farming was the main occupation.  Farmers had livestock to feed and cows to milk.  There were crops to plant and it was cooler in the morning to get their work completed.  The farmers needed their wives and families up early too so that they could prepare breakfast and help with chores.  Everyone in the house was up, ready for the day.  Rising early reduced their exposure to the sun, helping them to be healthier.  They were able to get more work done, making them wealthier, and this promoted a happier home, making them very wise, indeed!  It had the added bonus of bringing the family together, forming a strong bond that stabilized all its members and contributed to a vigorous society.  We may not still be an agrarian society, but we have certainly benefited from our past, Americans’ are an uncompromising, independent lot that thrive, even in adversity.

The wealthy part must come into play with “the early bird gets the worm.”  All you have to do is look at the New York Stock Exchange to see that Wall Street is busy early in the morning, with the stock market opening at 6:30am in California.  Since the majority of the worlds’ wealthiest people trade stocks, they must rise early.  Just look at many of our founding families, the Rockefellers’, the Gettys’, the Vanderbuilts’, the Kennedys’, etc, all families that valued long hours and hard work, beginning at “the crack of dawn!”

Perhaps ‘ole Aristotle knew a thing or two after all.  If not, why would Benjamin Franklin have reiterated nearly this very same thought, hundreds of years later?  And, here we are again, hundreds of years after Mr. Franklin, still reciting that same proverb.  It is, most certainly, because it is so true, even after all these years.  The animal world knows it, you won’t see them sleeping after the sun has come up, which certainly helps to keep them from being eaten by another animal who didn’t sleep late.  When you actually stop and think about it, we humans are basically very smart animals; so really, we should just do what comes naturally and we would all be the better for it!  

I must admit that it was my parents that made me go to bed early when I was young.  They were also responsible for getting me up with my chickens, yes, I have chickens, to begin my day, and sometimes I grumbled a bit.  However, now that I am older, it is my choice whether or not I want to go to bed and wake up early, and, I do.  I have come to realize that I love waking with the sunrise, and even earlier than that in the winter.  The air is fresh and cool and has that moist, grassy smell I love.  The birds are singing their beautiful songs and I find that this refreshes my soul.  It makes me bright eyed and bushy tailed, I feel terrific and ready to tackle whatever the day may possess!