Small Things Change Lives

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As most of you know, I’m an avid runner. (And if you’re a new subscriber, well, now you know.)

I usually run in the evening, but recently, I’ve been running in the afternoon. It’s just a couple hours earlier than my normal time, but as a result, I see lots of new faces around the neighborhood.

And for the past few weeks, one of those new faces has been this adorable little kid. He’s probably around 6 years old and has the most positive energy.

In fact, the first time I saw him, I was running my typical route, and as I went past him, he gave me the biggest smile and wave I’ve ever seen. Of course, I smiled and waved back. And let me tell you, it brought me an enormous amount of joy.

The following day, guess who I saw on my run? The same little kid. This time, however, he saw me from much farther away and gave me an even bigger smile and wave. Not only did he do that, though, he also ran up to me and gave me a fist bump.

Again, the joy I felt was unmatched. Just a small moment like this can really make someone’s entire day. I think it made me run faster too—bonus!

Over the next few days, I saw him again and again. Each time he greeted me with the same big smile, wave, and fist bump. Even his mom started waving at me.

This little kid may very well be oblivious to the joy he brings me. He probably has no idea how much I love seeing him on each one of my runs. I think we all need more of this little kid in us.

This simple interaction is something I look forward to almost every day. And if I’m having a particularly difficult day, it cheers me right up.

If there’s anything to learn from this, it’s that you can be this person to someone too. You can simply smile or say “hi.” You can ask them how their day was. You can give them a big ole wave.

Trust me, you really have no idea how much you can impact a life by just doing little things like this.

One time, I was having a really shitty day. I mean, one of those days where everything goes wrong and you just want to give up and quit. I just so happened to be walking through JCPenney to do some retail therapy. (Sometimes I shop as a coping mechanism. I wouldn't recommend it, though. It’s not very good for your bank account.)

As I was approaching the checkout line, this beautiful elderly woman stopped me and said, “Oooh honey, you look so fine and handsome, and you've got a beautiful smile.”

When you’re feeling like life really isn’t worth living, people like that beautiful elderly woman make you want to keep going. They make you want to keep waking up, keep chasing dreams.

This was four years ago, and I still remember it because that’s how much that compliment meant to me.

Like I said before, you really have no idea how much of a difference you can make in someone's life.

So, go out and be that little kid or that beautiful elderly woman. Smile at someone. Give them a compliment. Help them out in some way, shape, or form. It’s the little things in life that keep us going.

PS - Here’s a message someone sent me about a year ago. I didn’t know I was making a difference, but I certainly was.

Until next week,

—Wyatt