Ampersand Answers: Be the Reason

Be the reason someone smiles.

Roy T. Bennett

The Question: 

How can I contribute to the happiness of others? 

&mpersand Answers: 

The simplest answer is: by paying attention. But not to what you think needs attending, instead to what is actually happening. 

At the risk of sounding woke, I mean: stay awake. 

Walking into a mall one day, I noticed a woman struggling with a double stroller, her purse, her diaper bag, and something she meant to return to one of the big stores. The door into the mall was heavy glass, surrounded by heavier brass, and I could tell she was at her wit’s end. I sped up from behind her, and said, “Here, let me get that.”

 She came close to tears with her thank you. 

Paying attention.  

Now it isn’t always a case of need like the one above. Sometimes, you can make someone’s day with a compliment, or a smile, or a sympathetic look.  

It also works internally. When you feel robbed of your own happiness, stop, think a moment. What would you choose right now to change it? 

Paying attention is a two-way street. Internal and external. 

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