Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people. — Roy T. Bennett

Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.

Author: Roy T. Bennett

Insight: Most of us wait for the world to feel good before we try to make someone else's day better. We think kindness is something we do when we're having a great week, when we have extra energy to spare. But this quote flips that around—it suggests that being someone's reason to smile isn't a luxury we offer when things are easy. It's actually how we build a life that matters, even when we're struggling ourselves. The underrated part here is how small this really is. You're not being asked to change someone's trajectory or solve their problems. You could be the reason someone smiles with a text that says "thinking of you," or by actually listening instead of checking your phone, or by showing up for someone even when it's slightly inconvenient. These moments are forgettable to us in the moment, but they often become exactly the proof someone needed that people are still fundamentally decent. There's also something quietly selfish about it—and that's okay. When you're someone who makes others feel seen and loved, you become someone who belongs. You stop feeling isolated or uncertain about your place. People remember how you made them feel. In trying to be the reason someone believes in goodness, you end up living in a world where goodness actually surrounds you.

Source: The Light in the Heart