R.A.D.I.C.A.L. Thoughts

"A seriously neglected aspect of the art of appreciation is the habit of noticing."
David Dunn, author of Try Giving Yourself Away

I love old bookstores and old books. I have several favorite used bookstores that I go to as often as possible. One of my favorite things about used bookstores is that I can often find little jewels of books full of great wisdom and often at a ridiculously low price. One such book is one I return to often ... it's a little volume I paid a couple of dollars for. It's called "Try Giving Yourself Away." The book jacket says "A cheerful, heartening book which sets forth a hundred simple things that you can do to make your life much happier ... and to make the world around you a better place to live ... starting right away. The chapter I read this morning is about "noticing." It's about noticing both the wonderful little things that happen all around us all the time, and noticing the small ways that you can contribute to the happiness or well-being of others. Today, let's all try noticing when someone at the grocery store is doing a particularly good job at something ... or notice when someone is dealing with a long line of complaining consumers. Instead of adding to her woes, compliment your waitress on her efforts. One of my favorite places to try this is at any government office where incompetence and waiting seem to be in abundance. The next time you get a chance, just notice someone doing something good. Or notice a piece of trash on the sidewalk that you can pick up and throw away. All those little things add up, and being aware of them is the first step to doing something positive about them. People love it when you notice!

"Who dares despise the day of small things ...?"
Zachariah 4:10a