'glass-is-half-full' kind of
person. She loved to
laugh, and she loved
to make other people
laugh. It brought her
joy when she could
bring laughter to other
people - to lighten
their load, so to speak.
Proverbs 17:22(a)
A merry heart doeth
Proverbs 17:22(a)
A merry heart doeth
glance at other people
around you - in stores,
on the streets, in your
office, or anywhere,
you will see some
pretty unhappy faces,
for the most part.
My Mom's motto was,
My Mom's motto was,
"What joy can I spread
today?" I learned from
her that just by showing
the tiniest bit of interest
in other people, you
might just 'make their
day'. But, just as
importantly, it will make
you feel lighter because
you lifted another's
burden just by showing
you cared. Even if it is
just something as small
as a smile,
complimenting a
dress or hairdo, or
just asking the cashier
how they are doing or
what kind of a day they
are having. It might be
the only nice thing that
happened to them that
day! I believe what
the Bible says, "You
reap what you sow"
(Galatians 6:7). If you
spread some sunshine,
it will make you feel
good about yourself,
and brighten your day.
Try it; it works!
I believe that if you look
I believe that if you look
closely enough, you will
see that there are lots
of hurting people that
are a lot worse off than
you are. I know when
I start having a 'pity
party' for myself,
someone else tells
me their troubles, and
mine seem so much
smaller. If I stop
focusing on me, and
think of others - I forget
about my problems at
the same time.
Wouldn't it be great
if we each practiced
spreading joy every
day? What a difference
we could make!
And my Mom taught
And my Mom taught
me to pray for others,
too, even if I don't
know them. Prayer has
proven to make a
difference in many lives.
For example, I pray every
time I hear an ambulance,
fire truck, or police siren -
first that the drivers will
arrive safely, and
secondly that the people
in trouble are not
seriously hurt. I even
pray for bicyclists along
the road - that they
arrive at their destination
safely. It may sound silly,
but I keep thinking,
"What if that were my
kid on that bike or
driving that emergency
vehicle, I'd want as
many people as possible
to be praying for their
safety. It's kind of a 'Do
unto others as you
would have them do
unto you' thing
(Matthew 7:12).
So I hope you'll try out
So I hope you'll try out
my Mom's "motto" for
yourself - and see
what joy you can bring
into someone else's life
today and every day
and notice the difference
it will make in your
attitude, and how well
your day goes from
then on. It will put a
spring in your step; I
guarantee it. I hope
you have a joyful day!
Keep smiling, and
spread it around! :)