How to Create Waves of Happiness

Something happened recently that I find super hilarious, while also incredibly encouraging and hopeful. The other day, I was running around doing my crazy morning errands. The kids wanted sushi in their lunches so I ended up going to WholeFoods to grab some for them. We ended up getting Dunkin Donuts too, which I know sounds obnoxious together, but it made my kids giggle!

And that reminded me of something: by making other people happy, causing them to giggle, and helping them do things they thoroughly enjoy, it makes me happy. Through this pattern, I can create a wave of happiness.

That day I got my kids their sushi and Dunkin lunches, I told myself that before I went home and got my work day started, I was going to get myself some Starbucks as a treat. I got to the coffee shop, pulled up in the drive thru and ordered my drink. As I waited, I turned on the Christina Perri song, “Human” because recently it’s really been resonating with me.

I don’t know if anyone else can relate, but lately I’ve been in this place of feeling weary and exhausted. Like, how much more can I swallow? How much more can I do? As human beings, we’re either healing and expanding or we’re falling apart these days, and there really doesn’t seem to be a lot of differences in between.

So I started playing that song as I waited for my drink, really cranking it and letting myself sing it out. When I got up to the window, the cashier told me something amazing: the person in front of me had paid for my Starbucks.

I’m telling you, that person’s kindness in front of me in line made me giggle so much, just like I had made my kids giggle that morning by putting sushi in their lunches. It was such a good feeling and brought me so much delight that I decided something: I was going to cause a wave effect. 

You know the types of waves that happen at a football game in the stadium seats? Someone decides to start it, and pretty soon everyone is like, “Yeah, let’s do this! Let’s create a big wave!” 

That morning, I decided to join the wave. I was like, “Hey! I’m going to pay for the car behind me as well!” So I told the woman at the drive thru, “Tell whoever’s after me that someone paid for me, and I’m going to pay for them. Let’s keep this good thing going!”

I wanted to share this with everyone today because more of us need to hear how capable we are of spreading waves of good. We can spread waves of happiness, waves of kindness, and waves of making people giggle. Let’s pass this goodness around. We all need it like we need fresh air right now because the firehose of events just keeps coming at us in the world. And we all totally deserve to giggle, to laugh, and to enjoy life’s moments. 

We have to understand that each and every one of us is connected. We are all connected and what lifts one of us up can help lift up the rest. We have to stop tearing each other down, shaming people for having different opinions, and spreading waves of cruelty. Let’s support people. Let’s build them up. Pay it forward.

I hope you have the best day ever.

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