The past few months I switched up my normal route during my daily commute and started taking a lot of back roads. Not because they are any less congested but because they are prettier. I’ve fallen in love with this one particular neighborhood. As I drive by I love looking at the big beautiful houses, tree lined streets, and getting a glimpse of the water between lots. The beauty of this road makes the constant traffic (and the terrible Florida drivers) more tolerable and keeps my blood pressure low.
And I have now found another reason to love my drive. A few weeks ago I noticed something really strange during the evening commute. I was driving along this road when all of a sudden there were a shower of bubbles surrounding my car. Yes bubbles, like the kind you would play with as a kid. Bubbles just floating across the road in this one particular section. It was such a magical moment and filled me with this child like wonder as I looked up at the sky in bewilderment of where the bubbles came from. And every evening it’s been the same thing. You reach a certain spot in the road and all of a sudden you are surrounded by bubbles. Every time I pass through this section I can’t help but smile and laugh. No matter how tired I am, how rough of a day I had, or how backed up the traffic is, the bubbles change my mood almost instantaneously. It brings back that childhood sense of joy and wonder and just like that my troubles seem to float away.
Today I finally discovered where the bubbles are coming from! Traffic was moving particular slow and I was able to get a good look around during the bubble section. One of the big beautiful houses has a bubble machine in their driveway blowing bubbles across the road! As I saw this I thought, wow what a beautiful service this person is providing. Everyday countless cars drive through these bubbles and I guarantee it makes a lot of people smile, lifts a lot of moods, and brightens a lot of spirits. I mean who doesn’t love bubbles?
This got me thinking about the little ways people bring more joy and fun into this world. The bubble house, as I now call it, has really brightened peoples commute. It’s taken something stressful, like driving during rush hour, and made it fun. It may seem like a little thing, but that one action of lowering stress can have a huge impact on someones life. Now we might not all be able to have bubble machines in our backyard but there are lots of other ways to spread joy. When I am shopping at my local grocery store I like to go to a particular cashier to check out. No matter how long the line is I will wait in it because this person just radiates joy all day long. He makes me smile and laugh and always brightens my day. I’ve always been amazed that he can be so happy when he is ringing up groceries all day long. But maybe its because he uses that time to be of service and lift everyones mood that passes through his line. When I run on the beach in the mornings I pass by the same garbage guy every time. Whenever I see him he is meticulously picking up every piece of litter he sees while he whistles a happy tune. Every time he sees me he gives me a big smile, a good morning, and asks me how I am doing. His warm heart just shines through when we talk and always makes me happy. He is not just picking up garbage and keeping our beaches clean, but he is spreading joy.
After reflecting on all the people that bring joy into my day I realized that there are a lot of things I can do differently to start spreading more happiness. I could smile at a stranger instead keeping my gaze towards the ground and avoiding eye contact. You never know that may be the only smile they receive that day. I could start posting more funny pictures and quotes on facebook instead of always being so serious. Sometimes those silly posts provide a good chuckle for someone having a rough day. I could help promote and share someone else’s blog or business through social media instead of always trying to promote my own. In this day and age of competitive marketing a friendly retweet or share can make your day. There are endless amounts of ways to spread joy when you start to think about it.
So here is my challenge for you. Take time to reflect on all the people or situations in your life that bring you joy. And then spend some time feeling grateful for the joy you receive. Next make a list of all the ways that you can spread joy and do at least one of them every day. If everyone consciously took the time to spread joy think how much happier and loving our world would be.
Leave a comment below and let me know how you plan on bringing more joy into the world.