Positivity Will Change the World

My nurse walked into my room this morning carrying my medications, including the IV medication I'd need before today's dressing change. Another day. Another painful part of recovery. Another reminder that, even twenty-three years after my burn injury, the journey isn't over.

As he gathered everything together, he paused for a moment.

"I'm sorry you've been dealing with this since you were four."

I smiled.

"It's been a journey for sure."

He looked at me for a second before saying something that completely caught me off guard.

"You know, sometimes you walk into a patient's room and you can just feel the good vibes. You meet someone and, for whatever reason, you just like them. That's you."

I honestly didn't know what to say.

A little while later, his eyes wandered over to the overflowing box sitting beside my bed.

"What's all of those?" he asked.

I smiled even bigger.

"They're cards from my coworkers. They wrote enough that I can open one every day while I'm here."

He shook his head with a grin.

"See? When you're joyful and bring positivity, people are drawn to you."

I laughed.

"That's kind of my goal in life."

Not because life has always been joyful. Not because it's been easy.

But because I've experienced enough darkness to know just how desperately people need light.

People sometimes assume that positive people have simply had easier lives Or never face a challenge that interrupts their journey.

I don't believe that's true.

Some of the brightest lights I've ever met have walked through the darkest valleys.

They know grief. They know pain. They know disappointment. They know what it feels like to wonder if tomorrow will ever come or if tomorrow will be better.

And yet, somehow, they still choose kindness.

They still choose gratitude. They still choose hope.

That kind of joy isn't accidental. It's intentional.

I've spent many nights in the hospital, many days there too. I've lost count of surgeries and procedures.

I've learned what it feels like to hurt, to wait, to heal, and then to start all over again.

There have been moments when I wanted to cry because everything hurt and days where thats the only strength I had.

Moments when fear felt louder than faith.

Moments when the road ahead looked impossibly long.

But somewhere along the way, the Lord began teaching me something beautiful.

Pain and joy can exist in the very same heart at the same time.

I don't have to ignore the hard to embrace the good.

I don't have to pretend everything is okay to choose gratitude.

I don't have to deny my suffering to become someone who encourages others.

Joy isn't the absence of pain.

Sometimes it's the quiet decision to keep looking for the goodness of God anyway.

I've found that every smile is an opportunity.

Every conversation is a chance to leave someone feeling a little lighter than when I found them.

Every hospital hallway, every waiting room, every grocery store aisle, every ordinary encounter is an invitation to remind someone they matter.

Because here's the truth.

The world is already heavy enough. There is enough hatred. Enough division. Enough fear.

Enough people waiting for someone else to make the first move.

What if we became the people who made it?

What if we became known for encouragement instead of criticism? For hope instead of hopelessness? For joy instead of complaint?

What if our lives became places where others could rest for just a moment?

I don't want people to remember me because I survived burns.

I don't want them to remember me because of my scars. Or because I endured suffering. Or because I have a degree or specific job or specific lifestyle.

I hope they remember that they felt seen.

That they felt loved. They felt known and appreciated.

That they walked away believing there was still goodness left in this world. And they are one of those gems!

Because if my scars have taught me anything, it's this:

Light always shines brightest where darkness has tried the hardest to win. Light needs permission to shine brightly because if you spend all your time covering it, it cant live out to its full potential!

So today, I want to challenge you.

Spread some positivity.

Smile at the stranger walking past you. Compliment someone's outfit.

Pay for the coffee behind you.

Text someone you haven't talked to in a while just to tell them you're thankful for them.

Write an encouraging card and leave it somewhere unexpected.

Pray with someone.

Listen without rushing.

Love without expecting anything in return.

The smallest acts often leave the deepest marks.

You may never know the battle someone is fighting. You may never hear how your kindness changed their day.

But I promise you this:

Joy spreads.

Hope spreads.

Love spreads.

And one simple act of kindness can become the very thing that reminds someone they aren't alone.

The world doesn't need more darkness. It has enough of that already.

What it needs is more people willing to carry the light.

So go be one.