Those who bring sunshine

I've never understood why everyone keeps things so personal. That's probably because I'm naïve and I haven't had enough encounters with malicious people to lose faith in humanity yet. But I can't help but think that on a fundamental level, we all have the same basic emotions, and even though we all struggle through different trials, there's always someone who understands. Shouldn't we share with each other? Shouldn't we rely on each other? Isn't that why we're all here together in this life?

So I've always felt the need to be transparent.
When people ask me how I'm doing, I like to tell them.
If I'm happy, you'll know it.
If I like a guy, he'll know it.
If I'm sad, you'll know it.
If I'm frustrated, you'll know it.
If I'm stressed, you'll really know it.

To me, it's a matter of honesty. In my mind, pasting on a smile when I didn't feel happy was a lie.

But my perspective is changing lately.
Recently I've been learning that smiling is an act of service. Have you ever had a stranger smile at you? A big, genuine smile, for no apparent reason, and all you can do is smile back. What a kindness! They shared their happiness with you. If only for a split second, your mood was lifted.

Acting positive and kind and upbeat even though you don't feel happy is a sacrifice. You're sacrificing your comfort or the ease of letting your mood rule your demeanor for the sake of improving the lives of the people around you. It's not to be fake or to put on a show so that everyone thinks your life is perfect, or at least that shouldn't be the goal. It's to make someone smile, to make someone's day better, to ease someone's burden.

You know those people that, whenever you're around them, you feel better about yourself and better about life in general?
It's because they're happy, right? They're happy to see you. They think you're a great person. They remind you of all the good things in life. They're happy in general.
Are these people happy because nothing bad ever happens to them? Do they act this way because they have nothing to be unhappy about?
I don't think so. I think they probably have just as many problems as you do.
But if they can have problems and be this happy, why can't you?
What if YOU were one of those people that makes everyone happy?
Guess what.
You can be! You are! YOU are 100% capable of making people happy!
What if everyone made the decision to be one of those people that makes everyone around them happy? What a happy place this world would be.

Uh-oh. My naivete is coming out.
Do I care?

Nope.



Make someone happy today.