Today's smile.

Music: Sergio Mendes - Timeless (iTunes)

Doing for others makes for a much better smile than doing for oneself. Try it sometime. I find that I help people with problems every so often. I'll help my mom with what she needs to do once in a while. I do a little something for my sister way too rarely. I do genuinely kind things only a few times a week rather than daily (and no, small things like opening a door for someone don't count). Until now, I really thought this was sufficient, and it made me happier than most. However, I've been thinking about it a bit today, and a lot of my happiness stems from the deeds I've done yesterday, or worse, the selfish things I've done today. With the former, it's truly leftover happiness that I'm using to produce this smile that I have.

As is the case with all food, the fresh product is always better than yesterday's leftovers (and don't give me that "but I like pizza better when I reheat it" crap. You know what I mean). So basically, rather than condemning you to another one of my 1000-word posts, I'll cut it short. Not to discredit your acts of kindness yesterday, but perform them on a more regular basis. You'll spread more smiles and yours will be a lot wider than it is right now. For another perspective on this idea, check out Anthony Anderson's take on Valentine's Day -- http://rawmodelcom.blogspot.com/2008/02/valentines-day-is-not-for-lovers.html.

What have you done for someone else today? The more often you think about it, the more you'll realize that your idea of your I-self contribution is coming from what you did in the past, not the present. So make it a point to commit selfless acts daily. Your days will be a lot fresher and more ripe, if you will.

Much love.