It was Buddha who said, "Wherever you go, there you are." What you experience outside yourself is a reflection of your relationship to yourself.

Fertile Seeds Sprout Positive Growth

With a lot of fear and negativity circulating on the planet these days, I have been aware of strengthening my positivity muscle.

Recently, my daughter and I took a trip to Stowe, Vermont, for a girls vacation. On the drive back to Connecticut, we stopped at restroom in a gas station. We've all had occasion to visit some of these seedy locations. I was pleasantly surprised at how supplied and sparkling clean it was.When I returned the key, I made a point of saying loudly how wonderfully clean and pleasant the restroom was - that, indeed, it was the best I'd ever experienced.You should have seen the look on the cashier's face, "Really? Wow. Thank you. I just cleaned it."

"Well, it's a joy."

"Wow. Thanks."By acknowledging a largely thankless job I noticed a visceral shift in the body language of not only the cashier, but everyone else waiting in line.It's too easy to point out what doesn't work. Try - just for today - to acknowledge what does work and where others add value. You might just sprout something new.