influencing others - Plain and Not So Plain

The difference a smile makes

amy / 06/09/2013

I had lots of errands to run today and had to take all 8 of my children with me. I was not looking forward to it, as it can get hectic. You never know if a child is going to have a meltdown right in the middle of the store. But thankfully, nothing of that caliber happened today. Despite being gone for over 6 hours all the children were good. It was very easy to smile and show the world that “yes, I am very happy with my life.”
But what if my day had gone quite differently? What if I had been annoyed with my children? What would I be saying to the world then? That I am no different and life is crappy. That is not what I want to do with my life. I want to be an influence, a positive one to others. How can I do that?
The answer is very simple……a smile. What a difference a smile makes.

Each cashier that I came in contact with, did not look very happy. Most looked downright annoyed. Each and every one I had to interact with I made sure to ask them a question and address them by name with a smile. I would listen to their complaints and try and leave an encouraging response. Even my “in training” bagger I was sure to say what a great job she was doing and that the store was very fortunate to have such a hard worker like herself. That instantly put a smile on her face. Did it stay with her? I don’t know, but I hope that even though her day was going quite dimly, she might look back on that one word of positiveness and smile.

The bible says in Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

A complaining spirit drains us emotionally and takes away our joy. It reflects pessimism, not optimism. But those who learn to think and speak about “‘praiseworthy things” have a joyful heart.
Try it today. Smile at your children more, let them know that Mom or Dad delights in them. How about your spouse, do they get to see a smile when they first walk in the door? How about the people you interact with at work? Its amazing what a little smile will do for a person’s soul.

Accountability

The bible speaks of being accountable to one another, bearing each others burdens. The world says accountability leads to success. I believe both. One of the reasons for writing this blog is to become accountable in my actions as a wife, mother, and manager of our home.. Its easy to say “yes, I always choose the right responses in my life,” but the reality is…I’m a fallen person who makes more mistakes than I’m willing to admit:-)

Accountability is essential for any society to function. Whether it be in the workplace, in the church, or in our homes, we need people around us to help us achieve success in our lives. Whether your a mom of small children just needing that reassurance that what your doing is worth it, or that person struggling with addiction, its important to have people around to encourage and lift us up.

Proverbs 27:17 says.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

I think that this verse basically means that we can learn from one another, be a teacher and an example to others, and help build each other up. Its important in all things in life to know that your not alone in what you do, and somewhere in this world is another person feeling exactly like you do. It helps us to continue on, maybe remove some feelings of guilt, and help us to be better human beings in this world.

Are you fulfilling your role by being a sharpening influence to help make someone more useful and productive in life? Do you value and promote relationships with other good people to help “perfect” your own walk in life, even if that means that their corrections might be hurtful at times? I encourage you to let yourself get “sharpened” by someone today.