Sunday 3 June 2012

Acting Locally

These are challenging times in which we live!

Such a lot of strife in the world- conveyed globally by the media and resulting in negativity.
 Maybe there is a feeling of futility for some; a sense of being too "small a pixel in a big picture" for others; or a belief of "why should I if nobody else is bothering?" The big picture can seem daunting.  And perpetuating negative thoughts, information and actions are ridiculously infectious! My belief is that this negativity is actually what is making our planet and our global community sick. I also think the planet will heal herself – she is pretty powerful and the world weather reminds us of that often. But the global community is something I really feel we (people) can and do need to work on if we are to survive.

It's probably accurate that thinking globally, with regard to directly effecting positive solutions, is unachievable for most folks. But I have a strong belief, based on personal, observable experience, that acting locally, can give noticeable outcomes that are fabulously achievable. I have observed that positive thought, information and actions are even more infectious than the negatives.... and the energy they create is of a healing nature. I believe (as I know many, many others do also) that if enough of us act locally we can reach global proportions and heal the global community. It will take time, and patience. But how many scientists, authors, academics etc. didn't see the true benefit of their work blossom throughout the world, in their own lifetimes? So we shouldn’t let a less than immediate response stop us.

So, I am determined to focus my energy on positive local effort. Specifically, one way I have determined do that is to show gratitude in all my interactions with others. In my experience showing genuine gratitude to the people in my immediate world encourages people to do further good deeds. It sets a great example to others. And those who receive genuine gratitude start to pass it on to others.  When I verbally acknowledge the kind acts of another, and show gratitude I feel like it creates a positive link between my spirit and theirs. And we both smile! It costs nothing, yet feels worth a million dollars. Its uplifting for both the giver and the receiver. Yet it is often overlooked in our interactions. We might say we feel grateful but if we don’t show it how will anyone deserving of your gratitude know?
Let me give you some examples of how easy it is to acknowledge and show gratitude to others in your day....
This week I smiled, showed genuine gratitude and said thank you for the act...

Any time my husband made me a cup of tea ( or did anything else for me) I said “ thank you that tea was delicious;”

To each client I spent time with because they trusted me enough to include me in their wellness plan, I said “thankyou for the trust you put in me;”

To the workplace HR manager who organised a work-life balance workshop with me because she values the happiness of her staff I said, “thankyou for valuing the well-being of your staff;”

To the man who stopped at the crossing for me on Tuesday, I said “ thankyou” and gave him a wave;

To the ladies at the new delicatessen for letting me try the lovely King Island cheeses before I chose and bought, I said “ thanks for the chance to try before buying;”

To every retailer I spent money with- not for the items( I paid for them) but for their service, I said “ thank you so much;”

To the lady at the coffee shop because she knows I am only on a short break and makes my decaff "in a flash" I said “thankyou for the quick service;”

To the pet shop man because he took time to tell me how to care for the gold fish I purchased, I said “ thank you for the helpful information and the time you took to explain;”

To my Homoeopath for the diligence and patience she displayed when explaining her treatment to me,
I said “ thanks so much for your patience- now I understand;”

To my hairdresser and her co-worker who did a great job achieving the "look" I asked for, I said “ thank you for the special effort you go to;”

To my friend Cate who lets me practise newly learnt treatments on her, I said “ thank you for trusting me and making the time available I appreciate it so much;”

To the client for whom I was running late- for showing such patience, I said “ thanks so much for your patience.”

Every single time the person I showed gratitude to smiled right back at me. Now that’s not a surprise – but the point is without showing the gratitude that would be one less smile I would have seen in my day, and one less connection made with another soul. It's an opportunity to positively “lift” someone’s mood. And along the way it lifts your own mood into a really positive place.
I like to think how great it will be when each of those gratitude recipients acts in kind. It's starting locally....but eventually I think it can have a global effect.

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