The world works in mysterious ways. Everything is connected, somehow, someway. It has been proven. "A small stone may make only a ripple at first, but eventually it becomes a wave" and all that.
The vast majority of the time, I am a very positive person. It’s not that I strive to be positive. That’s just who I am. I’m a happy-go-lucky type of girl. Do I have my bad moments? Oh yeah, all the time. I have my times when I’m down in the dumps and I’m irritated and depressed and pissed off. But I am almost always looking on the bright side of things, looking for that silver lining. I can choose to be depressed and pissed off…..OR I can choose to look at the way things COULD be. If I just accept a situation that is out of my control, and accept that I can’t change it, then my mood changes. I might not be happy about it, but I’m accepting it. And that’s the first step.
My new neighbor told me something yesterday that has been floating around in my head, like a piece of dandelion fluff. She told me that prior to moving in here, she had been feeling very down, depressed, and "fatalistic". Felt like nothing was right in her life. Then they moved to Ely, next door to me.
Now, I really only see this woman when we are standing outside smoking, and even though the conversations might only be a few minutes (usually a lot longer), we have had some very interesting talks. She has lived a fascinating, but rough, life. Some of the things we have discussed have intrigued me and really set my mind to thinking about things.
She stopped me yesterday when I got home from work. She told me that she hoped she had a chance to see me because something had been on her mind. She went on to tell me that since moving in, and with talking to me, she comes away feeling better. The "fatalistic" view on life that she had is slowly going away. She has realized where her passion lies, and what she wants to do. She is going to take the leap and follow her heart and passion.
This woman doesn’t know a lot of what I’ve been going through, but knows some of it. She knows that things aren’t easy for me right now, and that I have enough stuff going on to be down about. But she looked at me and said that I’m not letting it get me down like it would other people. And it encourages her. She told me that I have that effect on people, and I probably didn’t even realize it. That the things I do, no matter how small or big, have an effect on people. A smile, a talk with someone, my singing, and so on.
She said that she didn’t think I realized that I can affect people as much as I do. With my positive thoughts, always looking for the bright side of things in what is perceived as a bad situation, all the things that seem to come naturally to me. It’s just what I do. She told me that I should try and tap into that connection.
Basically, she told me that I’ve made a difference in her life, and she said that even though other people may not realize it, or acknowledge it, I’ve made a difference in their lives too.
