“It’s easy to see what’s wrong in the world, but imagine looking around and seeing all that is right.” – td
I can’t help but notice how easily we are drawn to negativity and complaining. Not because we are bad, ungrateful people but because we are inundated with painful news stories and constant dramatic coverage. So, I decided to take a day to look around and see all that was right. As I headed to work, a waterline had ruptured in the street, which meant there was endless bumper to bumper traffic. What that also meant for me was that I was going to be very late for a client who would be sitting in my office waiting for me. I phoned the client to explain what was happening and I would be there as soon as I could.
I began trying to get out of the standstill traffic to detour through downtown. Yes, there were those drivers that would not let me in a different line of traffic. However, there were not one, but five courteous people that braked and allowed me to cross over and over again. Because I was busy noticing “right doing,” I saw hundreds of drivers being kind to one another with congestion following me wherever I went. As I arrived at my office, the client utilized my tardiness to retrieve us a cup of coffee from my favorite shop. It was interesting because I was noticing kindness, I didn’t feel angst about my morning.
Throughout the day I noticed people in the lobby would smile at me. When I stopped for gas, a young man graciously held the door as I walked thru. The clerk flashed a smile saying “Have a good day sweetie.” Later, a stranger approached me in the market and started teasing about the college team printed on my tee shirt. Everywhere I looked, there were random acts of kindness – which in turn instilled kindness in me.
We can always find something to complain about; we can easily observe an act of wrongdoing. The world is full of many behaviors and emotions, but we get to choose what we pay attention to, and we return to the world that which we bring to our consciousness. So, take the time to see what’s right with the world around you. You may be joyously surprised.