I remember my walk home from high school one particular spring day during my Freshman year.  Thoughts entered my mind, from where I don’t know, but I remember them still.  As I was huffing and puffing up the steep Bartlett Hill, I made a decision, not realizing how important this would be to the very fabric of my life.

I reflected on my classmates, their demeanor as well as my own.  I thought about how I felt while around certain individuals; how I felt when I, myself, was in various moods; how others might feel around me.  The fact that it was springtime, when my heart is usually joyful, probably nudged my musings in a more positive direction.

I remember contemplating how much better it felt to be around pleasant people than moody, negative people.  Also, one of my teachers had mentioned that it takes more facial muscles to frown than to smile.  I decided that day that these two reasons alone, made it worth choosing to be positive.  I suspect there was also an element of self-interest in that decision as I supposed I would personally benefit from honing this demeanor.

It was also about that time when I pondered what little extra effort it took, to smile and acknowledge someone than to merely walk by, absorbed in my own thoughts.  Looking back, I see these two decisions as defining moments.  One where I decided on my attitude in general and the second, my attitude toward others.  

These two insights were life-altering because, ultimately, they determined how I perceived my world.  By being kind and courteous to everyone, including strangers, kindness and courtesy were returned. This led me to believe that the world is full of kind people and I see them everywhere!  Living in a kind world has been a huge blessing in my life and I can’t imagine living it any other way.  When I treat others as I would a friend, they take on friendly qualities. For the most part, there are no strangers in my world, only friends I have not yet met.  

~Zanne
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