After sitting in a long driver-thru line at Starbucks yesterday, it was my turn to retrieve my beverages. The perky cashier was obviously distracted as she apologized for the delay. She said, “The gentleman in front of you wasn’t happy, so I was trying my best to accommodate him. I suppose he isn’t happy it is Sunday and Monday is on the horizon.” I smiled and chuckled with her assuring her that it was not a problem for the wait and saying, “You know, happiness is a choice whether it is Sunday or not.” She nodded in agreement and I went on my way.
Down the road, I stopped to pick up a prescription for a friend and encountered something similar with the clerk. She had just gotten off the phone with a very rude individual and we had a similar conversation. With those two experiences in a short span of time, I realized that apparently society hasn’t gotten the memo…..happiness is an inside job.
My vast forty-nine years of living has shown me that outside circumstances are no excuse for not being happy or kind. The slow driver in front of me, the dogs having an accident in the house, my children not taking out the trash……none of these have the power to make me a miserable human being the rest of the day or the week, for that matter.
What about those unhappy people you may encounter? Be kind to them. Maybe they have had a horrible loss or going through something difficult. I don’t have all the information, but it is entirely possible that one person being kind to them may give them a glimpse of light into their own darkness. This happiness thing is pretty amazing because nobody’s mood can affect mine if I am filled with pure contentment.
Recent Comments