On Being Grateful...

Recently I posted about how I am going to try to be a better good-seer.  Amazing things have been happening with this Good-Seeing Project.

What's so amazing, you ask?  Well, I noticed that I unintentionally SEE more good in people than I thought I did.  I SEE this person's beautiful eyes or outfit or kind heart or creativity, etc... But I don't often SAY anything about those cool things to the person with the beautiful eyes or heart.

I often proclaim myself as "filter-less," and many times this gets me in trouble.  I blurt out truths the way I see them then realize that I have inadvertantly crushed another's spirit or made a joke that was funny to some and hurtful to others.  Mostly, this filter-less personality suits me well, because I'd rather be honest than fake, but this "good-seeing" thing has my filter going wacky.

This seeing without saying became quite clear while I was traveling this week.  For example, the flight attendant on my plane the other day was really beautiful and had an endearing smile.  I noticed this the first time I walked by her on the plane, and I thought to myself, wow, she has such a kind smile.  And then I realized that I could just tell her that.  That there is no reason for me to hog this wonderful feeling.  I should share with her that just her smile made me feel happy and warm and cared for.  So I did.

It was a little uncomfortable.  She blushed.  But she was even more smiley and kind to the next people in line, and I think it's better to take down my filter when I see cool things in people.  Don't I hope they see them in me?  Doesn't it feel great when random people tell me cool things they see in me as opposed to thinking them and not saying them because it might be awkward?  Sure, sometimes it IS awkward, but better an awkward compliment that just might turn a person's day around, just might spread joy to many others than to be afraid of being awkward.  What are they going to do?  Punch you in the face for telling them you like their shoes?  Come on.

So, I tried to notice and comment even more as I was traveling, and I realized that from the moment I arrive at the airport, I am constantly in a debt of gratitude when I am "on the road."  Think about it.  In order for me to successfully get from DIA to my hotel in San Antonio, Texas for work, the travel agent must book my flight and hotel room.  The ticket agent must give me my plane ticket.  Someone else must lift and transport my 50 lb. suitcase.  The pilot must safely take off, fly, and land the plane, and in order for him to do that, he needs to be in contact with the people in the control tower, who need to communicate and direct all of the planes coming in and out of DIA/ San Antonio.  Then, someone needs to get my bags from the plane to the luggage merry-go-round.  Then the car rental shuttle bus driver runs to get my 50 lb. bag for me, calls me "love," and refuses my tip. Then another man laughs at my jokes and puts my bags in the car that someone else made sure was cleaned, fueled up, and running smoothly before I ever even stepped into the parking lot.  Still another team of people created googlemaps for my iphone so that I could get from the car rental place to my hotel without missing a turn.  (And, of course, all of those people it took to create my iphone...)

You get the idea, right?  Because that's JUST to get from DIA to my hotel in San Antonio, and it takes hundreds more to have gathered the information that I studied to present to my participants...

The more I thought about this, the more grateful I became.  And the more fun I had with the people helping me out.

I made a joke with the gentleman who checked my bag at the gateway, and five other people laughed.  I teased the pilot at the coffee stand at the airport; we laughed.  I smiled my biggest smile and thanked my biggest thank you to the cranky coffee stand barista.  Well, she didn't care, but at least I tried.

And I left realizing that while travelers are "weary," they are grateful for a smile and a laugh.  I know I am when I am dead on my feet, which are usually cramped into cute red pumps and aching, at the end of an exhausting 3 day workshop.

Now that I know that I SEE the good, I'm making an effort to SAY the good.  The more I SAY the good, the more I SEE the good, and the more grateful I am for it.