Sanjay was 15 months old when this happened. We were at the Auckland airport waiting to board our flight to Sydney. Sanjay was extremely hungry so my husband went to grab a sandwich. 10 mins, 15 mins, 20 mins and there was no sight of my husband. I grabbed my luggage and took Sanjay in the baby carrier and started walking towards the restaurant area. At one point, Sanjay screamed of hunger. I walked past a couple who were getting ready to eat their burgers. Somehow they got a clue from Sanjay's screams, that he needed food. The man offered me half of what he was about to eat. And before I could accept it, Sanjay reached out and grabbed it. I couldn't thank him enough. I have often been blessed by kind hearted strangers. But that doesn't happen all the time.
An irritated driver on the road, a not-so-courteous cashier, a friend who appears to ignore you - these folks knowingly or unknowingly have saddened my day. While I really don't have any control over someone else's behavior, I can control mine and make someone else's day. There are many days when I have been rude and not so pleasant to my family, friends and strangers. While I did know that I was hurting them, little did I know that it would affect me deeply when the tables were turned.
So I have been trying to include a 2 min exercise routine for my soul. Even if I am going through a tough day, I am learning to be polite. I try to take a conscious effort to say a hi or give a hug. If its one of those days when I'm really not in the mood to socialize, then I send an email to the friend I missed talking to. If its strangers in the grocery store, then I let them get ahead of me in the queue or help them lift heavy stuff or try to make funny faces to a crying baby.
An irritated driver on the road, a not-so-courteous cashier, a friend who appears to ignore you - these folks knowingly or unknowingly have saddened my day. While I really don't have any control over someone else's behavior, I can control mine and make someone else's day. There are many days when I have been rude and not so pleasant to my family, friends and strangers. While I did know that I was hurting them, little did I know that it would affect me deeply when the tables were turned.
So I have been trying to include a 2 min exercise routine for my soul. Even if I am going through a tough day, I am learning to be polite. I try to take a conscious effort to say a hi or give a hug. If its one of those days when I'm really not in the mood to socialize, then I send an email to the friend I missed talking to. If its strangers in the grocery store, then I let them get ahead of me in the queue or help them lift heavy stuff or try to make funny faces to a crying baby.
These are some of the simple actions I have learnt to do, after realizing that the power of courtesy can brighten a person's day. It hardly takes 2 minutes of your time. It will not only help you practice to put others first but make you feel wonderfully beautiful inside. There isn't any magic potion in the market to make you feel young inside! :)
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