On Saturday, it was filled with lots of unexpected changes in our schedule and less than pleasant experiences. At the end of the long day, I saw a homeless man with a sign "anything helps" and this always impacts my heart greatly. All I had was a banana so I apologized as I handed it to him along the highway entrance. He smiled and said, "thanks" very quietly.
This morning, I received an email from my son's teacher and she said that she enjoyed meeting me at parent teacher conference and how much she appreciated my support in providing extra supplies. It literally made my heart soar and that always makes me feel like I would like to do more!
I realized today that it is disheartening to hear so much complaining in general and it is absolutely contagious. One person begins and then another follows. I decided that I will only utter words of kindness, encouragement, and appreciation.
I had to call my cell phone provider (this is challenging to my practice) so I calmly explained the ongoing issue and made an extra effort to make the conversation more enjoyable for the customer service rep including telling him to have a great day. The monumental issue was short and effortless and the result was exactly as I had requested.