"We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own." ~Ben Sweetland

The other day, I was mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, stalking my high school friends' new best friends to make sure I was not being replaced, when I came upon a selfie.  Usually, I refuse to "like" or even look too closely at selfies (I usually associate them with narcissism, even though that's usually not the case).  However, the caption on this specific picture caught my eye.

"Be the reason someone smiles today."

Yes, the caption had absolutely nothing to do with the selfie the girl posted and yes, maybe she was fishing for "likes," but this statement truly speaks volumes.

Imagine if everyone made it their goal to make someone else smile every day.  I tried it this week as a social experiment (also because I desperately needed a pick-me-up to get me through this last week before Thanksgiving), and it was an incredible way to live!  It's not like I'm a terrible person normally, but I don't usually wake up every single day thinking, "Okay, today, my goal is to make someone else's day."

This week, I did, and I don't ever want to stop.

I realized that, in order to make others happy, I had to be happy first.  I had been feeling down, but as soon as I made a commitment to make other people happy, I felt instantly better.

Do you know anyone who is always pessimistic or always has something to complain about?  We all do.  And we all feel exhausted and negative when we spend time around them.  Emotions are contagious.  So, when we're around a person who has a good, positive attitude, their energy spreads and we suddenly feel rejuvenated.

Ben Sweetland said, "We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

Courtesy of Rachel Melton

If we want to make positive contributions to the world or if we want to simply make another person smile, we have to brighten our own torch.  We need to think and live positively in order to have a hope of changing anything.

This is easier said than done.  It is difficult to be positive and wake up each day in a good mood because life often gets in the way.  Everyone always has rough days, but these days are so much easier to get through with a positive mindset.

Back home, my family has a sign hanging right at the bottom of the stairs that says, "Today is going to be a great day."  It is impossible to miss when you walk out of the door in the morning.  I'll admit it--the sign used to annoy me on sometimes.  Some days, I convinced myself that I wanted to be angry or sad or upset, and I stubbornly thought that no sign could change how I felt.  Occasionally, I wanted to let myself have a bad day.

Now, however, I realize the importance of that sign and appreciate it so much more.  It is so true that if you wake up and think, "Today is going to be a great day," then the chances of you having a great day are infinitely better.  Minds are incredible things and simple thoughts have a tremendous impact on the way that we live each day.

Last week, I placed a new addition in my dorm: a sign hanging on my door, bearing the words that I used to (occasionally) despise,  "Today is going to be a great day."

I'm hoping that this sign will help me to brighten my torch so that I can continue on my mission to make at least one person smile every day--and I highly recommend that you do the same.

**Disclaimer:  This sign is 100% foolproof.  Side effects may include laughter, contagious smiling, and a lift in mood.**

"Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway." ~Mary Kay Ash

According to my extensive research, bumblebee flight does not in fact violate the laws of physics, but this was news to me (I have about as much scientific knowledge as a third grader).  Nevertheless, bumblebees have tiny wings and comparatively huge bodies and manage to fly long distances with apparent ease, and I find that to be truly amazing.

Let's disregard science for a moment and pretend that aerodynamically, bumblebees are technically incapable of flight.  This allows us to take Mary Kay Ash's quote for what it is--a fantastic metaphor that can apply to many situations in our lives.

We'll call this the Bumblebee Mentality: "Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."

The bumblebee is not conscious of its less-than-ideal anatomy for flying.  It just goes on and does what it needs to do to survive and thrive, without worrying that it is not capable of accomplishing its goals (of pollinating flowers and possibly terrorizing small children).

Life is a little bit more complex for us because we know exactly what we shouldn't be able to do.  Humans technically shouldn't be able to live on Mars or cure cancer or end violence and terrorism in the world.  However, there are so many amazing people with the Bumblebee Mentality who are working towards achieving these incredible feats.  They are capable of eliminating thoughts like "this is inconceivable," and "this can never be done."  They pretend to be unaware that some things are nearly impossible and go on to defy the odds, (hopefully) eventually achieving these amazing feats anyway.  

Photo courtesy of Tom Blackwell

Many of us are not working towards curing cancer, per se.  Yet, there are small victories in our own lives that could be won if we embrace the Bumblebee Mentality.  So many times, we shy away from daunting tasks because we don't think we are capable.  The only way to find out whether or not we're capable of something is to try.  After all, the bumblebee doesn't know that it shouldn't technically be able to fly, but it goes on flying each day.

Every NewYear's Eve, I, along with everyone else in the world, make New Year's Resolutions that I never keep.  We have the best intentions of eating healthy, doing one good deed every day, working ahead on homework, and keeping our rooms spotless (these are usually my goals), but something always gets in the way.  I usually pride myself on my self-discipline but for some reason, written goals always end badly for me.  I think this is because writing them down reminds me that I struggle with them and reminds me of my lack of confidence in these areas of my life.

If we just do and don't dream, we will be well on our way to executing the Bumblebee Mentality and will be able to accomplish so much that we never thought possible.  

Theoretically, the college student shouldn't be able to eat, sleep, do homework, socialize, and join service and recreational organizations, but the college student doesn't know so it goes on trying anyway. (A semi-original quote by Yours Truly).