Make Someone Smile: Buy Yourself a Gift
As we press on during COVID-19, not clearly knowing if or when we will be out of COVID hell, millions of us continue to feel trapped in our homes, working, parenting, cleaning, cooking. It all seems endless. Oh, the overwhelming desire to walk through an air-conditioned mall, finding every store we ever loved open and fully stocked.
One of the most depressing scenes in my city, like in so many major urban areas, is seeing restaurants, department stores, and even mom-and-pop stores shuttered for good. Just the other day, I phoned a favorite neighborhood restaurant with the intention of booking a reservation because restaurants have been cleared to open. No one picked up so I left a message. About a week later, I received a call from the very depressed-sounding proprietor explaining that the restaurant is closed. . .for good. I started crying for all of mankind.
Yes, everything feels dismal and out of our control right now. Yes, we should have had better leadership at the top. Yes, we should use better judgment in protecting others and ourselves. We can’t mandate that others follow the rules like we are, and that’s depressing in of itself. But there are actions we can take to weather the virus storm, and to make us better people while we’re at it.
A good friend recently went out of his way to buy a shirt for himself he knew would appeal to me. He actually dislikes the loud, boldly colored and patterned shirt, which is the point of this story. He was shopping for other items, noticed the shirt, and said to himself, “I bet Karen would love this awful shirt.” Karen does! Despite his disdain, he bought the shirt, put it on, and surprised me with a whole new look for himself. He did that to make me feel better during this heinous time in our history. Everyone wins.
There’s a lot of information out there on how to keep ourselves calm and semi-productive in quarantine, but not so much on how to make those around us keep calm and maybe even laugh a bit. Reaching out and doing for others will make the other person feel good, but it will also make you feel great!
Surprise someone you care about with a gift that’s for them but one you put on. Whether it’s for family member, friend, or client, you’ll feel terrific when you see that smile spread across your special person’s face as they appreciate and adore your generous gift.
Taking steps to making yourself feel better empowers you to be better. And all the better if the steps you take can also help someone else.
Get more tips about improving your mental outlook in Your Self Sabotage Survival Guide by Karen Berg: https://tinyurl.com/y786t4ax