Smile!

This morning, despite not sleeping well last night, despite looking forward to another day spent in a conference room with a bunch of managers, despite the aching shoulders, despite everything, I was in a great mood. Joyful. Cheerful. Confident.

So I decided that every person I encountered this morning, I would greet warmly and give a smile to. And I did. The bellhop and the hotel limo driver at the entrance: Good morning! The lady stocking shelves in the grocery store where I stopped for a bagel. The cashier who was supervising the self-checkout lanes. The man who stopped his car at the crosswalk so I could get back to my car. All the people I've seen in the office this morning.

And to a one, they looked me right back in the eye and smiled back at me. Even the lady who'd been looking rather sour and trying to keep her eyes on the ground, she returned my glance and tentatively smiled at me. It made me feel great to get all those smiles, and I hope that my greetings have been cheering the people I've encountered. I know what a difference just one smile can make, when I'm having an "off" day.

One of my all-time favorite posts on Dave Barry's blog is this one. I wish you the same: Have joy!