They say the way to determine an optimist or pessimist is how they view a cup that has water to the halfway mark. Is it half full? Is it half empty? While this post really has nothing to do with cups or water, it does have to do with how we view life. I wanted to share a few observations.
As I walked into work one day last week, there was an older man watering the flowers outside. He seemed pretty content in what he was doing, as if he really enjoyed it. I said, “Good morning!” to him and immediately he turned with a smile that covered his face. He said, “Good morning to you!” I remember thinking that this is a person who has contentment and joy in his heart, even if he did have to get out of bed and come to work!
Then this morning, on my way in, I smiled and greeted a lady. It did not invoke the same response from her. She didn’t smile, nor speak, and continued walking in a hum drum manner. Her body language said, “I’m not living. I’m merely existing.” There was no joy, almost a dread in her face.
It made me wonder: what do others think of me when they see me? When they greet me, do I respond? Or continue on in the hum drum misery of life? And if I do respond, what do they see in my body actions or facial expressions? Do I show joy and zest for life, or at least an attempt to be happy? Or, an overall feeling of despair and boredom? Just a thought.
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