The Hot Dog Lady and Smiles

Mike and I used to play a silly game when we'd go to the mall. To be honest, it was mostly me, but Mike graciously went along with it. There was a woman who worked at a little hot dog and pretzel stand in the middle of the mall. She pretty much always had a rather grumpy attitude and manner about her. It became a challenge for us to try to get her to smile whenever we happened across her path. Sometimes we failed in this mission, but sometimes we succeeded. When we did succeed, it made her smile and actually brightened our day, too.

You've probably heard the saying "He's a glass half-empty kind of guy". It refers to a person having a negative view of things. Of course, when a glass is half-empty, it's also half-full. It's the exact same glass, just seen from two very different perspectives. There is another saying that goes "attitude is everything".

You may have heard of, read the book, or seen the movie Polyanna. It's about a little girl who plays the "glad game". Basically, she looks for the positive in every situation and ends up transforming the lives of everyone around her with her bright outlook. I'm sure we all know people who brighten the mood when they are around and others who are rather like dark clouds rolling into a room.

Why am I throwing out these sayings/cliches/stories? I want to challenge you...and me.

We each have a choice, perhaps not in what happens to us, but definitely in how we react and respond. This may seem trivial, but I challenge you to look for the half-full, celebrate the small things, notice the beauty around you, be thankful, and share the joys of life. I dare you to start collecting smiles. Life itself is something to celebrate!