All You Gotta Do is Smile :-)

Smile, because life is a beautiful thing and there are plenty of reasons to smile." - Marilyn Monroe

I recently started commuting to downtown NYC for my job a few months ago; an hour and a half one way vs. driving to work, 15 miles in 20-25 minutes for the past six years .Taking the commuter rail and subway doesn't sound like fun to most people, does it? While I don't commute in everyday, the days that I do, I feel at ease with myself. I am at peace. I actually...

...find myself smiling...a lot more. :-) 

Six weeks ago I noticed a woman sitting on the steps of a church. There were only two steps, not very wide. She looked  homeless. Some days she was sitting face out towards the street, other days she would crunch up in the corner. I saw her read, do a crossword puzzle, and last week she was praying out loud. Those who know me, know that I love to strike up conversations with strangers. So I did. 

I stopped one morning and said, "Good morning. Is there anything that I can bring to you in the morning? Clothes, food, books?" She smiled at me. A beautiful smile. "No dear, I'm fine. I have everything I need."

I insisted, "I don't pass here everyday, but I would love to bring you something. What is your name? My name is Christina." 

"My name is Lillian. And Christina, you have a beautiful smile. God will provide for me. Keep smiling."

Lillian continued with her reading. I left feeling happy. My smile made her day. Each day I pass her, I say "Good morning Lillian."  She tells me to,

"Keep on smiling!"

And I do. Remember that strangers are people too.  As I have said before...

I believe that there are no coincidences in life. A person that wanders in and out of your life was there for some purpose.

UPDATE: I recently saw an article and video about Jaden, a 6-year old boy who lost both of his parents. An orphan, now living with his aunt, practices what I 'preach.' Jaden asked his aunt to buy several small toys and bring them to downtown Savannah so he could give them to strangers. He searched for people who were not smiling and handed them a gift.

Try this sometime. And if you don’t know me — just feel free to ask me anything.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Christina (her friends call her Tina), is a Curious. Passionate. Strategic. Insights Executive at AIG. She’s also a Curator of Connections and Conversations. Her philosophy is to lead through example through the illustration of insights from the outside...in. She has shared thought-leadership perspectives in payments and customer segments and through social media. In her spare time, Tina runs around the world with her family, volunteers for the Boy Scouts of America, and is training (sign) for her next road race - the Brooklyn Rock and Roll Half Marathon. 

Please read some of her other entertaining posts – “I Met a Beautiful Stranger”, "Don't Forget to Flush the Toilet", "Don't Forget to Look Next to You", "Really? Not another #selfie!", and "What's My Next Adventure? You decide..."