So I have this neighbor that always waves to me when I see him outside biking past his house. I said to him today “Good morning! You are always so happy and gleeful when I see you! What’s your secret?”
He yelled, “Seeing you every day!”
(Blushing...)
Then he said, “No but really, you are the happiest girl in the neighborhood always riding your bike relaxed looking like a cheerful sea otter listening to your tunes, it’s inspiring and your energy gets me excited! I just want to get outside and go climb a mountain when I see you!”
It’s so funny hearing this because I feel like his jolly red cheeky grin makes me light up and smile, but it turns out I was apart of bringing that energy out of him and he was apart of bringing out mine.
Not only is choosing joy in life and creating a positive energy contagious, but this way of living can start to become second nature for us. You'll start to feel joy and be joy, vs. look for the joy.
He asked me what excites me in life. As if he wanted to go do whatever I said after I shared. Ha ha. I told him, “I don’t live an exciting life but little things in life excite me. Like the way my coconut milk gets fluffy after mixing it or how much I love being able to take my daily bike rides.”
We chatted a bit longer. He shared how he gets excited when a burger is going on the grill and the smell it creates (I agree) and the way his engine sounds when he starts up his old porche. He ended our morning chat with, “You are a light my dear. I hope you are receiving all the desires of your sweet heart. You deserve it!” Then he walked back inside.
I cried a little when I rode away. Wth, my emotional time of the month is over. Hmm. Maybe it’s because the biggest desires of my heart haven’t been given to me yet. I got a little sad for a second but it made me feel really good to see that I was being seen as a positive light. That is all I want to ever be! No matter if I'm having an up or down day because you never know who you may cheer up by just smiling at them.
I thought more about what excites me. Think about it and then watch your own face light up! I love the way clean sheets feel. I love it when a flat road becomes a steep hill, how my parent's dog's legs turn into a wishbone when she’s laying on her stomach, hot eucalyptus showers, grey foggy beach days, a nights sleep after a hot yoga class, the way your lover holds your head when they kiss you or how they look you in the eyes, the sound of birds chirping outside, or the way that creme brûlée top cracks when your spoon hits it, and a million more little things that are really just so huge in life!
Whatever excites you, these are things that God wants you to notice, love, and appreciate. They are little daily gifts from him. And when you think about how many we get and get to give every day, it's not easy to keep a smile off your face or the light shining from within you.
