Bring light into the world

My friend Carol has long been a mentor and model for me. One of the things I love about her is that she is an encourager.

When I send out my monthly ezine (if you aren't on the mailing list to receive this once a month, sign up to the right of this blog), she often sends me an email telling me what resonated with her. That kind of feedback is so helpful! It's a reminder to me to tell others when I like or appreciate something they've done.

When I have been down in the dumps or am going through a stressful time, she sends cheery cards and notes; and she sometimes calls with a positive message. She's good about sending emails encouraging—or even commiserating!

Sometimes when my workplace became stressful or painful, she made me laugh by reminding me to wear my hard-hat and flak jacket to work! She often jokingly told me to duck under my desk when stuff started flying at work! Those images always helped me to take things more lightly than I tended to do. They made me laugh. But even more, they reminded me that someone was thinking about me and what I was experiencing. Someone cared that my day was difficult.

Carol's example through the years has led me to become an encourager, too. I love sending cards, notes or emails to people to brighten their day, whether it's for a specific occasion or "just because." I know how wonderful it is to be on the receiving end of those. I have also discovered how great I feel when I do this for others.

How can you brighten someone's day today? It's good to start each day by asking how you can bring more light into the world that day.