Calling Pinehurst Golf Resort in North Carolina, I was greeted with a cheery, almost lilting, “Good Morning, it’s another glorious day at Pinehurst!” (Not just beautiful, but glorious). I couldn’t help but smile feeling a lighter sense to my call. Here I was talking to someone who was already in a good mood inviting conversation. I knew instantly that I would be well taken care of.
The person on the other end lit up my day with her warm greeting. I never saw her, but she spread her joy. She “sparked” igniting my happiness, acting as a wonderful contagious outbreak.
We all have that ability with our attitudes, action, and words. We too can “make someone’s day”. Just look at how the recent visit from Pope Francis has positively touched the lives of so many people. His warmth, joy, and compassion gave us all hope in our fellow man and brought us all a little closer to the “one” that we really are.
Yes, the Pope illustrated my idea of “Spark and Spread” behavior. Spark your happiness and spread it to others. Hopefully that attitude of cheerfulness will become an epidemic.
On the other hand, have you ever been in a room when someone walked in and you could feel your elevated mood suddenly take a plunge? You can tell by their body language, the drooping shoulders, the shuffling step, or the frown lines permanently indented in their foreheads that it is not “a glorious day at Pinehurst”.
Even before their open their mouths you can tell that their glass is half empty and they don’t even appreciate the water that they DO have in it.
Once they do speak, they seem to stifle your joy by complaining about their situations. They wallow in judgment, never happy with their lot. They are waiting for the other shoe to drop and the sky to fall. These toxic people are the perfect example of “Stifle and Smother”.
This negative energy also spreads but in a smothering way, like a wet blanket. Granted they may have been on their feet all day at work, or perhaps they are suffering physically from acute pain erecting barriers to their passion and enthusiasm for life. They always have a reason to justify.
I know we all can’t be happy all of the time and everything isn’t always great. That’s impossible. But what is possible is controlling our attitude and putting on our best face.
Joy comes in small sparks, lunch with friends, baby sitting grandchildren, watching a miraculous sunrise or enjoying a sense of accomplishment. Gather these joyous pearls of happiness and let their light shine in your relationships.
But in between these flickers of joy there are times of pain, frustration, and regret. But we cannot allow these human conditions to over turn our bursts of joy.
We don’t have a say about what life deals us. About the only thing in life that we do have control over is our attitude. Our choice as either “spark and spread” or “stifle and smother”. Let’s choose joy. Let’s choose the Light. Let’s choose to make it a “glorious day” no matter where we are.
What or who sparks your joy?
