I love Ghandi's quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." It's something I strive to live by. Running in San Diego a few weeks ago, I was reminded of a particular period where I put this into practice.
When I started my chiropractic internship, I moved from Seneca Falls, NY, a small, friendly town where strangers would commonly smile and say hello as you walked down the street, to Long Island, where people would give you dirty, suspicious glances if you held the door for them. I remember going out for my runs and being sad that no one would so much as look at me as I passed them. But I decided not to let it get me down. I decided I was going to change things. I was going to open the door to friendliness in that Long Island town.
So I decided that every time I went running, I would smile and audibly say hello to every person I passed.
At first, I was shy. I mumbled it, I couldn't make eye contact, and my smile probably looked more like one attempting to tolerate torture more than one who was cheerfully greeting another. But as the weeks went by, I got braver and more comfortable with my idea, and I really went for it.
What happened?
At first they didn't do much. Some even looked confused. But as time passed and the same people ran by over and over, I started to notice it. At times, the return greeting would even come slightly after we passed each other. Within a couple months, we were smiling and giving the classic runners' nod to each other... sometimes I would even get an audible greeting!
I like to think that those smiles brought a little extra happiness to the world... perhaps helped someone feel a little less alone. I know it certainly brought joy to my day -often the case with giving, isn't it?
Maybe one person really can change the world. Or at the very least, theirs.
What are you doing to make this world a better place?
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