Be Happy – it’s contagious

There was another of those wonderful thoughts for the day on one of my websites: “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. -James Matthew Barrie, author (9 May 1860-1937)”.

How true – one can’t make someone else happy without its affecting one’s self in turn.

How often have our days been changed by the simple fact of someone smiling at us: showing us by word or deed that we are listened to, that we are noticed and thus that we matter? And in return, have you noticed that if you make the effort to really listen to someone, to pay a compliment or do a good deed, that your day is also brightened?

This doesn’t necessarily imply being a Pollyanna either, simply being more aware of the positives in life, of making an effort to be nice to spread the sunshine: after all in physical terms, there is more daylight (although not always with sun as well I know!) than there is darkness in most of the world, most of the year.

We drift to those who are cheery; we flee those who are constantly negative. Perhaps we should take a hard look at ourselves and loose a few of the sarcastic remarks, try and find the positive even in bad situations. If everyone made an effort to be more like the sun than the dark, we could change at least our immediate environment and the people that we make happy will in turn help us be happy.

I’m going to look for the smiles when I leave the house and am sure that if I give a few by the end of the day I will feel that it has been a good day – what more could one want?

Some beauty too perhaps? A spring walk below provided that.