TGIF! I hope this week you experienced lovely moments of just being.
On our way to find our purpose, we can experience how our well-being can influence our interactions with others.
We all have stuff we are going through, dealing with, or getting over. Everyone. No exceptions. Perhaps an angry someone just needs a smile or a kind word. Everybody needs to feel the recognition of their existence and that they are being heard.
The only thing in this world we can control is ourselves. Within this self-control, we can choose to offer care to those around us, even those who act like they don’t deserve it.
Ultimately, we never know what situations we may find ourselves in, but let me encourage you with a few simple statements to keep in mind.
Let it be: the practice of being quiet.
Given that everyone has opinions, we don’t need to offer ours or correct someone else if we don’t agree. For the most part, saying nothing is more powerful than arguing.
Let it go: the practice of peace.
Someone getting in our face? Walk away. After all, our personal peace is worth more than confrontation. Our self-worth is not dependent on being right in someone else’s mind.
Let me help: the practice of reaching out.
Several years ago, I was in the grocery store. At this time, there were very few people there, so it was easy to notice a young mother pulling her child along by her arm. The little girl was saying, “stop Mommy, it hurts!” The mother replied, “Just hurry! I’m late and I have to find this ingredient!”
I didn’t want to get all up in her business, but, as childhood memories surfaced, I was mindful of the little girl. Approaching them, I smiled and said, “Hi. I shop here every week. Can I help you find something?” She immediately stopped, dropped her grip on the girl, and looked at me with wide eyes. After a moment, I directed her to the item she wanted. Pulling it from the shelf, she thanked me and, taking the child’s hand, said, “Let’s go, honey. This nice lady helped me find what we needed.” Off they went, the girl skipping alongside her mother.
Later, at the cash register, she thanked me again for my help and the little girl smiled too. In just a few moments of positive interaction, the tone of the day for that stressed out mom and her child changed.
We can let it be, allow ourselves to let it go, and offer to let me help. Three little phrases to keep in mind that can infuse positivity into your interactions with others!
“Don’t forget to be kind to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews 13:2
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