If you have good thoughts,
they will shine out of your face like sunbeams
and you will always look lovely.
-Roald Dahl
I came across this quote in two different places today and it made me stop and reflect. I am definitely one to show whatever I’m feeling all over my face, whether they are positive feelings or not. When I was younger my mother was constantly telling me “A little birdie is going to come along and poop on your lip” because I was always frowning and sticking my lower lip out in a pout. I’m not sure that I go that far with my facial expressions anymore (or at least I hope not!), but now and again I become aware of the fact that I’m frowning. Sometimes there’s a reason and sometimes there really isn’t, but this quote resonated with me and I wrote down 5 things that happened to me today that made me smile sunbeams.
- A video of my niece learning how to use the jolly jumper.
- An office conversation about relationships that led me to realize Husbie and I have been together for almost 7 years. That’s 26% of my lifetime!
- Literal afternoon sunbeams streaming into the office, which is rare these days.
- Getting a package in the mail at work, which happened to be my long-awaited lace oxfords – double smiles!
- Using what’s app to simultaneously send an impromptu Wednesday night dance party to a dear friend in Holland and discover that a friend in Africa was wearing her scarf today in a rather elegant shawl fashion like I did all the time when we used to work together.
I feel that this quote is also a great reminder that although its human nature to focus on the negative that happens rather than the positive, doing the opposite of that not only makes my face look lovelier (and prolongs the appearance of wrinkles), it also helps put things into perspective! Because at the end of the day, the driver that cut me off this morning on the way to work is far less important that the fact that my 3.5 month old niece is learning how to be even cuter (if that’s possible) by jumping up and down in her jolly jumper, and that I’m lucky enough to live in an age where communication with friends all over the world is possible from the palm of my hand. Try making your own list of 5 things that made you smile today – you’ll be amazed at how quickly your spirits will lift!
No Comments
I thank Lady Wisdom for visiting you and blessing your day with this truth about how best to approach each day. As Jan Phillips wrote in her book, No Ordinary Time, “each day you awaken to a canvas of 24 hours, ready for what only YOU can create.” What we create is largely a product of attitude and how we choose to view the world and our place in it so thank you for sharing your reflection. On another level… your list brought back memories of Nathan in his jolly jumper and the smiles from within that simply could not be contained. It also made me think of the similarities between us… my feelings aren’t so much on my sleeve as on my face, as you are aware that yours are as well. We both are blessed with the motivation to want to capture some of life’s memories and moments in writing and to share them. Much of the book I did for Nathan was just that… sharing the moments which then became memories on a page. Keep it up my dear. I truly appreciate reading the ‘blog’. L