Stranger Things

Day 351

“Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren’t any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life’s challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person.”

– R. Buckminster Fuller

We’ve all heard it, said it, or grew up being reminded of it: Don’t talk to strangers. It’s a great safety mantra for kids, but a soul-sucker for grown-ups. Somewhere along the way, we forget that it’s safe to interact with people we don’t know once we’re grown up, and yet, most of us don’t try to engage in conversation with random strangers or passersby; at least not in North America.

“Do I dare disturb the universe?”

– T.S. Eliot

I don’t know if it’s because of that mantra ingrained in us from childhood, or something else, but it’s the antithesis of nourishment for the soul – it prohibits us from sharing our unique talents with the world. And we are here to do precisely that.

Today’s principle of positivity was born out of something I told a bartender several years ago – like I say, nothing we do is ever wasted, and there’s a reason for everything, even random conversations with bartenders.

I’ve written about being kind throughout the year, I even launched my tornado-of-kindess campaign in the spring, and what I’m talking about today is a form of kindness, but it’s more about sprinkling a bit of your very own specially-formulated pixie dust everywhere you go; it’s about raising your bar of positive impact on the world.

We all have something to offer each other, and I believe that everyone who crosses your path, even if it’s simply to be part of the crowd and you never even meet, they were meant to be part of that crowd for you, and their presence touches your life in some way, however small – it’s the little things that make a difference in the big things.

“You are part of a puzzle in someone’s life. You may never know where you fit, but someone’s life may never be complete without you in it.”

– Unknown

Several years ago, on a whim, I went to a bar after work for a drink. It had been a tough day and on my way home, I decided to pop in to this random bar for a drink by myself – something I’d never done before. I sat down at the bar next to some regulars, and waited to order my drink while the bartender, also the owner, struggled to open a restaurant-sized jar of cocktail cherries; the jar was winning.

She said she’d been trying to open that stubborn jar for days with no luck, and no one else had been able to open it either. It seemed crazy that this jar had eluded so many people for so many days. I piped up and told her to run it under hot water for a minute so it would loosen the crystalized sugar that had formed under the lid causing it to be stuck.

She did, and it easily opened. I got my drink on the house and the barkeep got her garnish, but what really happened that day was that I made a forever impact.

I’ve known that trick for as long as I can remember – and it’s no big deal for me to share that information, but we often don’t get involved. My willingness to get involved made a difference in that bar owner’s life. She may not remember my face, my name or anything about me, but I’m sure she remembers the girl who taught her that trick, and I bet she’s never met a jar she can’t open since.

This is today’s principle of positivity: Get involved, interact with the world around you, talk to strangers. In small ways, share your “pixie dust” and make an impact, a forever impact, by simply being you.

“Don’t be selfish with your blessings. Do your part, and bless others. Make a difference in someone’s life.”

– Unknown

It can’t be that hard right? Even The Grinch does it!

When you stay open, mindful and conscious of your surroundings and interactions, you begin to see that everyone you meet serves a purpose in your life – they may be a guide, or have a message for you, and that you too, have something to offer them as well, something that might stay with them forever. Let’s go sprinkle some forever dust, shall we?

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31 Days Of December French Hens & Turtle Doves Positivity Practice #16: Forever Impact

Make a difference. Raise your bar of positive impact.

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Go to my French Hens & Turtle Doves page to see how I made a forever impact today!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!