Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".

It's been some time since I posted a Heart Smiles​ so I decided to share a recent experience.

I had some car trouble while I was at the post office which resulted in my car blocking half of the entrance to the parking lot. While there was plenty of space for others cars to get around my car I was still parked in an inconvenient spot. I saw the worst in people that day as some folks yelled and honked their horns. I also saw the best in people as many others came over to offer assistance. Despite all the help that was offered there was nothing anyone could do to help. Even the first tow truck that arrived was unable to tow my car because the gear shift was stuck so the car could not be sifted into neutral. One lady in particular came over to help and after I told her I had been sitting there for hours she offered to bring me lunch. I declined her offer so as not to cause anyone else any inconvenience however, to my surprise, she came back about 15 minutes later with food and a drink. I asked her about the cost and she waved off my question and wished me a merry Christmas. I gave her a tearful hug as I had long been pushing myself to stay positive while I held back the frustration of being in the way and having to explain the situation a dozen times as new people offered to help. My heart still smiles when I think about her gesture even weeks after it occurred. She embodied the Spirit of Christmas that day and I am glad she was able to share it with me,

I'm sure by now you've seen this video on Facebook or some other social media network. I share it with you today because she is doing exactly what we all should do: Living life with passion. This little girl has taken a mundane song that we hear every day and made it her own. She gave her best to make singing the alphabet enjoyable, entertaining, and fulfilling. If we all put that same passion into what we do every day our lives would be filled with joy. I challenge you today to put some magic into the mundane areas of your life and see how much it makes you smile. 

It's been a while since I did a Heart Smiles post so I thought I'd share something that I take for granted but am reminded of whenever I'm away from home for many days. 

Some say that chivalry is dead. When women say it they are referring to men not opening doors, pulling out chairs, sharing their jackets, etc.; when men say it they are referring to the level of independence modern women demonstrate driven by the need to be treated equally. I say that there is a unique balance between the two where chivalry is alive and well and both genders are treated equally yet the roles are clear. I say this because I see it every week...at my church.

After having a hectic month and missing multiple church services in July I sat back this Sunday and my heart smiled as I watched chivalry live and in action. I've become used to it but I always notice it after I've been away from it. As soon as I arrived on the grounds I notice the men directing traffic, something our leaders won't allow women to do because it requires exposure to the elements and weather. Walking up to the doors I notice two men holding them open for everyone to enter and, once inside, I notice two women greeting everyone with a smile and a hug as they enter, a role reserved for women. Next I enter foyer where everyone is there fulfilling whatever duties are assigned to them. I see men on security, more women greeting, and both men and women providing information on various upcoming events and activities. Then I enter the sanctuary where both men and women serve as ushers directing people to their seats. I look around a see a sea of God's people, just as many men as there is women. As the service progresses I notice that every time a women goes up or down the stairs of the altar a man is there to hold her hand for support. After the choir finishes singing one man goes the the base of the stairs and holds the hand of each woman coming down while the other men wait patiently until all the women have descended. One man even waits as the female soloist finishes out the song ensuring that he is there to help her down the stairs when she is ready. My heart smiled at his attention and patience. After the service ended and I was leaving I noticed the doors being held open by two teenage boys as they followed the example set by them earlier in the day. And as I exited the same men directed traffic out of the parking lot as we all entered into the rest of the day. My heart smiled as I took in this demonstration of gender equality and chivalry all in one setting. This reminds me that it can be done and chivalry is not dead for those who choose to apply it. The example has been set, it's up to us to take it to the world.  

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".





My regular 9-5 job is as a trainer for behavioral health agencies, I teach on a variety of topics from understanding autism to performance management. One of my most requested classes are those on basic computer skills as many of the staff at my primary facility have little or no computer knowledge. These classes always make me smile as I watch people start out so intimidated by computers that they barely want to touch the mouse then they leave a few classes later smiling happily after they've sent their first email. Of all the training courses I've taught over the past 10+ years these computer classes have yielded the most immediate results of any other. When I think about the things they will be able to do just by learning how to use computers it makes me so excited for them. Now, people who were previously limited to their surroundings have the whole world at their fingertips. So my heart smiles...

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".




The folks in my department are a pretty close bunch. Most of them have worked at the facility over 20 years and have worked in the same department together over 10 years. Because of these relationships they freely share triumphs and trials with one another. When I joined the department in May 2014 I fell right into place with the group and we're all pretty close.

My coworker's mother has had a rough time this past year. The passing of her ex-husband (my coworker's father) with whom she still had a very positive relationship, being blindsided by a divorce filing by her current husband of 16 years, and decreasing physical health have all taken a toll on her psychological state. This morning my coworker shared with us that he had accompanied his mother to a meeting regarding the divorce proceedings; it was very grim occasion inclusive of a battle for the shared home where his mother currently lives and his step-father had abandoned when he left. His mother was refusing to leave the home despite living at least an hour away from family members and having no assistance with her deteriorating health. His step-father suggested charging his mother rent to remain in the home even though they own the home together. After hearing about the meeting I offered to say a prayer for my coworker and his mother regarding the situation; he was sincerely thankful for the gesture.

Less than three hours after sharing his experience my coworker came to my office proclaiming that God is good. He excitedly told me that his mother called saying she had thought about the situation and that she wanted to move out of the house to be closer to family, her husband could buy her out of the home. The look on my coworker's face and the excitement in his voice made my heart both jump and smile. There is nothing that God can't do if we just believe.

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".



As I pulled into my parking space at Walmart another car pulled into the space right next to me. The driver was an old man and the passenger was an old woman with a breathing tube in her nose. I went into Walmart, bought my items, and returned to my car. Across from my car was a mother and her two children getting into their car, the mother's face was hard revealing that there must have been something bothering her. As I walked past I noticed the old woman with the breathing tube was still in the car and she was waving to get the attention of the mother. I brought the mother's attention to the old woman as I was approaching my car. She had all of our attention as she proclaimed to the mother "Your hair is beautiful!" The mother's hard face softened sweetly as she thanked the old woman for the compliment, got into her car, and pulled off. As I thought about how such as small gesture may have made the mother's day brighter, even if only for a moment, my heart smiled.

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".

Last week I had a minor fender bender on my way to church and it helped me see just how much my thinking has changed. I was rear-ended coming off the highway in traffic. I stopped behind the car in front of me but the car behind me did not stop. Luckily there was so much traffic that he wasn’t driving very fast and damage to both vehicles was minor. However, it was my reaction to the accident that made my heart smile.

I immediately called the police after pulling over and while I was on the phone the other driver came to check on me on the passenger side. He was a young man, clearly in his early 20’s, and after talking to me he stood between the cars looking distressed. After ending the call I got out of the car to talk to him, introduced myself and asked if he was okay. He said he was on his way to work which was just around the corner and he looked very sad. I tried to encourage him by commenting on how minor the damage was and that things could have been much worse. He agreed but remained distressed as he went back to his car and sat in the passenger seat shaking his head in his hands.

I was at ease, not because I wasn’t at fault but because I recognized that it really could have been much worse. Neither of us was injured in any way and a couple hundred dollars for some cosmetic repairs to our vehicles was all it would take to make things appear like this accident never happened. I was pleasantly surprised at how carefree I was about the situation and how calm and collected I felt when the officer arrived to complete the report. With all the negativity being shown in the media these days between African Americans and law enforcement my heart smiled because our encounter was cordial and pleasant and my positive outlook allowed me to continue my day without a hitch.

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".



One of the easiest way to start changing your thinking is by using daily affirmations. Great motivators like Zig Ziglar and Norman Vincent Peale suggested speaking positivity at the start and end of each day to help you stay motivated. This is a great habit to develop and my heart smiles as I watch these youngsters learning how to use positive thinking to get them motivated.

Positive Thinking takes conscious effort as you retrain your mind to minimize negativity. Trying to see good in everything and everyone can be a struggle some days so I want to highlight small moments of positivity that I see as I live day to day. These moments are featured as "Heart Smiles".