Today I want to present a simple short story. I guarantee you that no matter how your day was, this story will make you smile and lift your spirit. You are going to feel so good!

Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came, and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded, him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”

Isn’t this an absolutely beautiful story? What do you think? The story makes me feel amazing. You really don’t always know like in this story how a really simple gesture might benefit another human being which you have touched on that day. You may make them feel good. You may make their day. You may make them love life again. You won’t always know, but let’s try to spread more love.

I’m not talking about the love you have for a special person in your life. No, the love you and I and everyone else on this planet is able to give. It’s also the love which doesn’t expect anything in return.

How? It’s simple, just help some stranger. Remember it can be just a simple gesture. Think about the many times you have walked passed someone or simply ignored paying attention, because that was easier to do. Turn around this time and offer some help.

Ok, some people have an easier time with that than others. If you are the more shy type, then don’t worry. Try to say “Hello” to someone. If you live in a big city, don’t you sometimes feel that we always buzz by each other and we sometimes think: Why is that no one really cares? Why can’t we say “Hello” to each other at least once in a while like they do in small towns or out in the country? After all we are all the same. We are all human beings. If you think saying “Hello” is too much, then how about a simple smile? That is really easy to do. I guarantee you the other person will smile back.
How will you feel? I can tell you that you will fantastic. You just touched someone else in their soul and spread some love. It’s really this easy. Try it! You will have a better day as well as the person you have touched. Guess what: That person, because of you, will be more loving to other people as well. It simply created a snow-ball effect, because you were nice to one person. Okay, I know there are some pessimistic folks here. What if that person isn’t going to be nice to other people? I’d say: Does it matter? Isn’t it already good enough that you spread love? I think so. So stop worrying about it and simply DO IT!

Now if you are interested in reading more stories like this which will touch your heart, then I can only recommend that you try to get the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul” by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. You can buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or your favorite bookseller. It’s a pretty popular book and if you have never heard of it, I highly recommend to check it out. They are many stories like the one I have quoted above. What I really want to achieve here is to see you smile and spread love. The world needs more of it.

Until next time!