received this fortune at lunch today and found it really special—not only because i haven’t had Chinese food in sooooo long—but because i found it fascinating that the message wasn’t about something i could look forward to. it was about how i could improve the life of someone else, which after getting over the whole ego implication of the power i could have over another’s day, i thought was pretty effing cool.
i think we often forget the effect we have on other people—both those close to us and strangers we encounter. i’m also always amazed by the effect a simple smile can have on the grocery checkout person, the doorman at the hotel, some random guy on the street . . . and i always love it when i take a moment to slow down, get out of my own head and am on the other end noticing someone who is smiling and making the effort to be pleasant (or gasp just is pleasant!).
so, beyond the homeless guy at Ontario and Rush, who compliments all the beautiful ladies, no matter how many times we walk by in a 5 minute span and smile or not, i think i made an impression on at least 3 people who might have needed a smile today. and i feel so super-lucky to have been reminded that something that little can make a difference.
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