Every act of kindness no matter how big or small always makes an impact somewhere. I like to make sad or grumpy people smile when I am out walking or shopping and it feels so good when they smile back. I know that my heart feels so much better when I am smiling and I know that I helped them to feel that way, even if for a short moment.

My mother in law had a hard and difficult childhood. She grew up as an illegitimate child in the 30s, when being the child of ‘that woman’ didn’t make you feel too good. When she became a mother her children were always well dressed and cared for. She loved her ‘babies’. Yet she still carried with her the hurt, anger and feelings of ‘not being good enough’ from her childhood. When I came into the family, a very affectionate daughter in law, it seemed she would do whatever she could to push me away or find some fault about me. After her heart attack in 2009 she began to mellow.

We moved to be near her that summer and I spent many wonderful times getting to really know this woman who was the mother of my husband. Each time her old paradigm would begin playing where she would want to be indifferent towards me I would shower her with so much more love than ever. I told her how wonderful she was. As I went through her old photos with her I admired how well she took care of her children. I praised her creativity with all her crafts, her sewing, and her knitting projects. I hugged her often.

Soon all her gruffness melted away. She felt good being around me and I found a most incredible woman beneath all her hurt. My expressions of joy had power over her feelings in a most positive way.

Reach out to others who seem angry or hurt. We don’t always know that lonely road that brought them to the place they are at. Let them know that they too are precious like everyone else. It is amazing how one hug, one kind word, one act of service, one smile can change their day. Continued kindness towards others can increase the joy in your life and the lives of all who you reach out to. You have no idea how far your joyousness can reach.

To read more about this topic I encourage you to read Sara Childre’s article https://goo.gl/Pj9tMe .  She is the President and CEO of the non-profit Institute of HeartMath.

If you haven’t received our free ebook yet you can download it here http://fusefamilyfocus.com/ for your copy of ‘3 Tools to Reconnect, Recommit and Refresh Your Relationship’