Running round the park in the sunshine this morning, I made a point of saying, “Morning!” to most of the people I ran past. Some were heads down, some with headphones, some with dogs or children on bicycles, some alone.
As a naturally shy person, this requires a certain amount of effort on my part, but the community building and connection amongst people who live in the same street or town has been remarkable and has impressed me during this Corona Crisis.
So, loudly: Good morning!
Mostly they lift their heads and reply in similar fashion.
Emboldened, me: What a beautiful day!
Them: Yes it is.
Now it’s my time to draw their attention to something positive which they may not have already noticed, for example:
It’s so lovely to hear the birdsong.
The air is noticeably cleaner now.
It’s lovely to see the blue sky.
Don’t you just love these warm days?
Nice cooling breeze…
Those magnolias are gorgeous…
Often, I can see them opening their minds to this new thought and a positive affirmation usually comes.
And I run on. I haven’t even slowed. (OK, my pace is very slow anyway!)
So, the practice of generating and sharing happiness by deliberately creating positive thought patterns goes like this:
Greet.
Say something positive about this present moment you’re sharing.
(Avoid moving their mind away from the here and now…eg Nice to be out of the house. This potentially moves their mind to a less happy place…Stay in this present moment.)
Second positive When they respond, maybe direct their attention to a less often used sense, like smell, bodily movements, or hearing:
The air’s so clear you can smell the blossom…So nice to have quiet, plane-free skies…Great to be out and moving…It’s really peaceful today.
That’s it!
“Good morning…Lovely day…great to breathe clean air…”
Nine words which can change someone’ day.
Give it a go, especially if you’re shy. Challenge yourself. Be playful. Be the one who makes the connection, builds the community, and you’ll find that it’s not just other people you’re helping to be happy!
