MONDAY MILITIA!!

Thank you for all of your positive comments and feedback for the Monday Miltia. It really helped reinforce my feelings that I need to do this thing.

I really started this as an exercise for myself and thought it would fun personally to document my progress, even if just for myself. I am really shy by nature. I'm extremely uncomfortable in groups of people I don't know and I think nice thoughts all the time that I think maybe I should share because it seems like they might have the power to change the world in a better way...and what happens if I just DO THAT?


Soooo....how did you do with your mission? Did you complete it? Did you fail and forget?

No matter, try again!

Here's my story for the mission this week:

It took me until...Thursday?....to find the right opportunity to fulfill my mission....

I went out to do some errands and needed gas. I took our second car, which is rarely driven and has been on empty the last 3 times I've driven it.

So I pulled into the first gas station, which happens to be outside a members-only gas station (like Costco, Sam's)of which, I am not a member but I'm thinking "hey, I'll just have to pay the non-member price, right?"

and there's a line.

and I hear my car idling. wasting gas.

nope. no go-go juice.

A large sign says MEMBERS ONLY and you have to insert your member card to pump.

DAMN. and I'm really getting worried that I might run out of gas!

So, off I go to the next station. I pulled into the Sunoco and inserted my card. And I got the "see attendant" bleeep.

CRAP! now I'm really concerned because I have no cash and I just spent several precious vapors of gas idling in the BJ's parking lot.

...and I'm getting mad and anxious and very nervous. and I go inside, and there was the most lovely lady. She was super tall and graceful. She looked to be of some African-Caribbean descent. She was wearing cute cowry shell earrings and I mumbled grumpily that my card wouldn't work, could she try it in here?

"Of course, baby." was her reply.

And then, after I swiped my card, she started humming and singing to herself in a sort of reggae fashion, "AUTH-oooorrrr-RIZING!!!" because my card was authorizing.

Then she handed me my receipt and gave me the biggest, most gorgeous smile! You know the smile! Gorgeous white teeth and just HUGE!

and then...I seized my opportunity!

I half-whispered (because I am shy) YOU HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE.

and her smile got even bigger!

and she said:

"You are so nice, baby! You have a beautiful day, lovely! in her thick accent...

And then, I did! I went down the road, singing to my Pandora Ingrid Michaelson channel and pulled into the store parking lot and the woman next to me unloading her cart saw me and SMILED. And said,

"It looks like you're having a great day!"

and I said,

"I am! I hope you have a GREAT DAY too!"

and then she smiled.

Then I was still smiling as I walked into the store and several more people started smiling when I smiled at them!

WOW! my whole paradigm has just shifted....IT IS JUST. THAT. EASY.

I would love to hear your experiences from your mission this week!

NEXT MISSION: Take one negative thought you have this week and make it positive.

It can be as simple as "SCREW this LAUNDRY!" and then you do the laundry and put it away.

OR it can be negative words that you think and try to repurpose your thinking. For instance, Why does so&so do this???? Surely they do it to P*ss me OFF!

Maybe think of WHY they are doing what they are doing and see it from a different point of view!

OR, perhaps you say something unkind and you need to make the situation right. Perhaps an apology is in order, or a phone call, or a small token of friendship.