SHINE: A Smile Goes A Long Way

Over the past few weeks I've had the opportunity to be in a lot different environments. Lots of business meetings with new people in beautiful offices, hotels and restaurants. I've been on a lot of airplane flights and in quite a few different airports. And when you've moved to a new place, everywhere you go from the grocery store to the bank is new and different too. So I've been crossing paths with a lot of new people.

It's reminded me again how far a smile and cheerful attitude can go when you are out and about. I'm not one to chat it up with strangers but for some reason just smiling and being kind has drawn me in to some really amazing conversations with seatmates on airplanes, with new business associates and meeting new friends. When I am boarding flights I try to smile at people who make eye contact with me. I smile and acknowledge the flight attendants, tell them and the pilots thank you when I disembark.

In short I've been trying to let my shine be seen wherever I go. Sometimes I'm tired, or distracted or don't feel great. Sometimes it's been a terribly long day, sometimes it's the middle of the night. But it's always a reminder to have that little theme for the year SHINE in the back of my head reminding me to put my focus on making the world a little bit of a better place by shining wherever I go.

It's amazing how little energy it really takes to spur myself to be a little brighter and a little more conscious about the energy I give out into the world. A smile doesn't take much effort and it's clearly proven by science that a smile on your face lifts your own energy too.

I have loved having a theme for each of the last two years. it's not like a goal list or task sheet I have to accomplish and check off. It's just a way of living that directs me towards what is most important to me in life for that year. It's something you can step into in any time and place and when you hit a hard day or a hard patch of days it's something simple to hang onto and to let guide you when you don't have the direction or energy  you wish you did.

Shine is just a great little reminder for me to be who I want to be in my life and how I want to represent myself out in the world. It feels so true and authentic to me and it's so very simple. Last year my theme was "It's my time." You can read all about it here.

Here are a couple of favorite links to posts about the power of a smile and a good word.
Bring A Little Sunshine
The Aloha Spirit

Here's wishing you a SHINY week to come. See you back here soon. I have a bunch of posts lined up so I think I'm back on schedule to be posting more regularly here. Looking forward to sharing some fun finds as I've been transitioning into all the new family and work stuff.