I met a college friend after pilates, right outside the gym. She wasn’t sure but when I smiled back in acknowledgment, she knew it was me. She was waving excitedly at me as her eyes shine brightly. We exchanged some pleasantries and reconnected a bit. It has been about 7 years since we last met. It was a pleasant encounter indeed, and it had a really positive effect on me.
Her enthusiastic reaction made me feel that I must have left quite an impression on her. A jolly good one at that! I do hope that I can leave a happy and memorable impression on the people around me too. However, I think that requires some hard work. Over the years, the difficulties and challenges faced have kind of changed me. Being the escapist, I tend to avoid and ignore. Pretend that I did not see the elephant in the room. Sometimes, people think I am worried about something or am sad / mad when I am most certainly not. Those aren’t really feedbacks I enjoy listening to but something needs to be done.
Being positive and staying positive can be very difficult. But, like a muscle, if used regularly, it will be stronger. So, while the gym enthusiasts work out to grow abs, I am working (maybe not hard enough) to grow positive muscles. Hopefully, one day, I can be the light for the people around me.
