Day 17:       Think Outside Yourself.

    One of the most beautiful things about humans is that they can rise above self-concern and put themselves out to help others.  I dearly love to receive flowers.  It is the Italian in me.  I hardly ever get them.  Then I realized that I hardly ever give them.  I try to make it a practice to deliver a bouquet to a different unsuspecting friend every month.  It costs less than $10 and makes them feel great.  And it is almost as good as getting flowers myself. 

    Who do you know that could use a little pick-me-up?  Do you have a friend who is struggling financially?  Or whose last child just went away to college and is feeling kind of empty?  Maybe your significant other has been frazzled and short-tempered lately.  Get him a professional massage.  I have a friend who brings dark chocolate bars for me.  They probably cost less than a dollar each, but just thinking about them, and the fact that she is that thoughtful, puts a smile on my face. 

    So go ahead.  Try doing something for someone else and see if it doesn’t give you that same flush of pleasure.