Do you have a story? Someone needs to hear it. Don’t think so? Look around you and listen. Can you see it in their eyes? Can you read between the lines? Can you see them in the distance?

I went to a meeting this morning to listen to a guest speaker. The main speaker was telling stories about professional athletes and what made them stand out in his mind. Then the MC got up at the close of the meeting and shared just a brief story about how he grew up. These stories really motivated me, especially the one about the MC. I had no idea he had gone through a particular situation. I had been watching him from a distance. It helped me to identify with him and it encouraged me. After the meeting I got a chance to talk to him. I wanted to encourage him to continue to share his story. He told me that he had hoped his story didn’t bring anyone down. Interesting!

I have meditated on this almost all day and have decided to write about it. I needed to hear his story this morning. I needed to be encouraged. The main speaker had talked about sports legends and how they overcame obstacles, but it was this man’s story that helped me the most. I could identify with him. Don’t ever think you have nothing to share. People view us differently than we think. We know all of our faults and weaknesses and too many times we focus on that part of our lives, while others may see only our success and strengths. If we let them in a little, maybe they can be encouraged to succeed also.

Our lives are living books. People read our pages everyday as we write. I smiled at Sally today as she handed me a cup of coffee at the coffee shop. I gave Nick a pat on the back and told him what a great job he was doing. I opened the door for someone who had their hands full of packages. What is all of this? Just more writing in my book. What did Sally think about the smile? What about Nick or the person with the door? How did it make them feel? What was going on in their lives before that moment?

Sally might have just broken up with her husband of five years. Maybe she felt rejected and unloved. Maybe she felt like no one cared. Maybe that smile just encouraged her that she mattered. Someone smiled at her. Someone noticed her today. That one little thing might have changed her whole life. She was no longer headed down a path of self-pity, depression, anxiety or whatever it might have been, but now she takes another path and starts to believe again. Maybe things can get better. Would this be worth a smile?

What about Nick? Maybe Nick was at a crossroads in his life. He had been trying to get something in his life to go right for a change. Everything he had touched just seemed to go nowhere. Now, all of a sudden, someone comes up to him, pats him on the back and comments on what a great job he is doing. How does that make him feel? Do you think he might just have a better day?

How does your page read for today? It’s not too late to add another sentence. It’s not too late to add a whole chapter. Give out of what you have. You’ll receive a lot more than you give. You can change the world, one person at a time. Choose to make it a better place. What’s your story?

Have a great day.

Joseph