3 Lessons I Learned From a 7-Year-Old Girl
Updated: Nov 22, 2019
There was a random little knock on my front door. When I opened the door there was this tiny little girl with a big smile.
"Hi Mr. Brown! I have something for you. You can open this envelope."
"Hi Nora! What? This is for me?" I asked.
"Not just the envelope but what's inside too." Nora said with a huge smile.
As I opened the envelope, I pulled out the cutest little handmade card!
"What?! Are you kidding me Nora? This is for me? I said with a huge smile. "What's this for, why did you make this for me? I asked with excitement as I got down on one knee to be closer to her height.
Nora's very excited reply was, "Well Mr. Brown, because it's just true. Every time I see you when I'm riding my bike or I see you when you are walking, you always say "hi" and you make me smile and laugh too. Oh, and you are very kind..."
I gave her a high-five and off she rode on her little bicycle.
I read the card again and was sincerely blown away. It hit me: I was just moved by a little 7-year-old girl. More than that, she taught me some really cool lessons about life. I've got to share them with you!
Nora lives in another neighborhood from me. Every so often, I will see her riding her bike on our cul-de-sac or sometimes I will see her when I'm taking a walk. When I see her, I usually will talk about how cool her bike looks or ask how her dogs are doing.
3 Lessons I Learned From Little Nora
1. Impact Another
You never know how impactful a random act of simple kindness can be to another person. In this season of being thankful, I was truly blown away by Nora's card, her words and her art work. It was so simple yet so impactful to me. I just really smiled.
As a result of Nora's kindness to me, I made a vow to randomly impact someone else by doing something very kind for them.
The FIRST lesson I learned from little Nora: When life is pressing in on you and it's stressing you out, pause, take a deep breath, and remind yourself to look around and see the amazing things you can be grateful for. Sometimes we just miss all the amazing little wonderful blessings that are right in front of us.
2. Friendliness Matters
There is not a single day that goes by that I don't encounter an unfriendly person and a friendly person.
Unfriendly people are kind of like a passing breeze. You feel the breeze, it comes and it's goes. No big deal for me, not much of an impact in my life. However, friendly people are like an unexpected, amazing treat which blesses your heart. Like an amazing ice cream cone!
These kind of people tend to really impact so many in life. They can be a quiet person or an extroverted person. Personality is not what makes them kind. They just are simply kind and their kindness matters often times in very big ways in another person's life.
The SECOND lesson I learned from little Nora: Instead of concentrating on my disappointments and frustrations in life, Nora has helped me to think about other people who I might help.
I've come to realize that finding little ways to help others out, snaps me out of my self-centered thinking, and then I’m not wallowing in self-pity anymore – I’m starting to think about what others need.
3. Appreciate The Small Things
A brand new car! A brand new house! A brand new gaming system! A brand new...
All of the above are really cool blessings. However, they don't come my way all that often. You know what does? 46 heart beats a minute. A breath in and a breath out which I just took 11 times in the past 60 seconds. The incredible love and joy my 3 dogs will show me when I get home from work.
The THIRD lesson I learned from little Nora: Shift my focus and inspire KINDNESS and GENEROSITY.
Very early this morning, I thought about wherever I'm at, whatever circumstances I'm dealing with, I'll take a moment to really appreciate this gift we call life, and applaud.
Then I will do my best to give back to life.
To you little Nora: Thank you little one for blessing my day!!!
Your turn...
Do something – anything – to show your gratitude for this imperfect miracle we have been given. Be kind to a stranger, create something others can use, be loving to your family…make a difference in your own unique way.