2 questions

I have a thing for doctors, but it isn't a good thing. In fact, I don't really like doctors. I don't feel the need to go to a doctor unless I am bleeding out of my eyes (it hasn't happened, don't worry)or am being forced or taken by other people (happens a lot, not a big fan of it). However, I recently went to the doctor to get a few things checked out (my mom made me go). While there he asked me 2 question that took me by surprise.

Now, this had been the first time I have met or had ever been seen by this doctor so I was a little on edge. The nurses came and went after asking all the questions they had about my family health history and what not. Since I was able to answer less than half of the questions I realized it is about time to learn more about my family's health. The moment of truth came a few minutes later. As the doctor walked in I held my breath. At the door with a look of disgust he stopped abruptly, took a quick short breath and asked "Did you fart?"  I couldn't respond...the look of horror and complete embarrassment, I am sure, covered my face. I was so nervous I couldn't remember if I had or hadn't! I manged to shake my head "no" and to that the doctor began to laugh, a laughter I will soon not forget.

The second question was the question that really stuck with me and helped me realize just how happy I am when I serve others. The question was simple, "A million dollars, what would you do with it?" Since I was still traumatized from the first question, I wasn't sure how to answer this question either. But now, I think I know how I would answer it. Sure, getting out of debt, paying everything off for my family and possibly taking them on vacation are serious things that I would love to do with that kind of money, but what would truly make me happy would be to give it to people in different, secret ways. Paying for someone's gas, paying for another's groceries, finding a way to pay someone's rent, electricity and gas bills, are just some of the examples I could think of off the top of my head. Things that are usually a must for the life we live in today. Things that are maliciously nagging at us until we pay them off. Those are the things I want people to be free of. I've come to realize that I am truly happiest when I serve others. I sit and cry as I watch people who are truly grateful for a kind act done to them (like watching undercover boss or some of the youtube vidoes floating on facebook) The joy and gratitude that they show cannot be matched. It fills your soul with so much love and warmth that you want to repeat the act that you just witnessed.

The best part of this random act of kindness is that these people have no idea who has done it or why. They have no one they feel they need to repay, they will simply feel as though someone cares for them. Because they won't have anyone to repay, they may just reciprocate the action to someone else. They may reach out and help someone else who may be in need. Can you imagine a world where everyone just took care of each other? I know it seems far fetched with some of the things that are happening right now, but what if that is how we begin to teach our kids. What if we could change the world by teaching our kids to do these acts of kindness? Allow them to see that putting away our own desires and needs to go out and serve someone else can help them learn more about themselves than any other thing could. Call me naive, but I believe it is possible. I may not have kids and I may not be married (or even remotely close to that happening haha) but I do plan, when the time comes, to teach this to someone of this happiness that comes from serving others. Not for the glory of it all, but for those simple tears of gratitude that appear in that person's eyes.

Life Lesson #1

I plan to write about things I learn as I get older or even more simple, things I observe. This may be the only life lesson I have, there may be more to come, but I figure I might as well write them down so I have something to reflect on as years pass. 

I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason. I do realize that, that may seem crazy to some.  The idea that such horrific things that this world is capable of, happen for a reason may blow some people’s minds. But what else is there to believe? I would rather have hope in something good than no hope at all. I’ll be honest and say I don’t know the reasons things happen, nor do I believe that I will ever completely understand why they happen but I do know that good can come from every situation we are placed in. That good may manifest itself within minutes of the tragedy or it may happen years later, but the good, nonetheless will come. While talking with a friend today, I realized just how much each of my trials and hardships had changed me and molded me into the person I am today. I can’t imagine being where I am without the trials I have had, and I do believe that I went through those trials in order to help someone else.  I have met so many people in life, some were friends, some were strangers; but they were each in a specific situation that I had also found myself in not too long ago. They were feeling some of the same things I felt, saw some of the things I saw, and were fighting some of the same battles I fought. It brought so much comfort to ME to be able to say “I've been there, I know how it feels” and mean it wholeheartedly. Maybe the comfort didn't come to them, I dunno, I can’t speak for them. But to believe that I went through that particular hard time so that I may help others get through a similar hard time brought me such comfort.  So maybe that is the reason things happen to people. It’s not so much of the whole woe is me, but it is the opportunity to go out and serve someone else with the wisdom and knowledge you gained while going through that hardship in life. With that said, on particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100% and that's pretty good, but also that there is someone out there that I am fighting that specific battle for. And it is for them that I will triumph.