forget it for a while

it's all in the attitude.

doesn't matter what you do, have the right attitude to it and there is no way you're not going to do well and have fun.

i'm probably the last person you should be taking this from, because my attitude towards a lot of things is - sadly - bordering on the macabre *cue evil grin*. nah... i'm just not exactly little miss sunshine, if you know what i mean.

but today was special.

started out with a chem exam that was a lot more bearable than expected. i'm thinking an A for this one XD. hoping. praying.
but the important part was that i went in feeling good about what i'd keyed into my calculator studied, i prayed desperately, and i came out smiling.

okay, so i needed to pee halfway through the exam, and then i couldn't remember which room i was in because they all freaking look the same - rectangular metal boxes with smelly carpet and lousy insulation. good thing the teacher saw me and started laughing, otherwise i might never have found my way back.

after the exam, i was really tired, and i really wasn't looking forward to going to work. but then, while i was sitting on the bench outside of Woolworths, i brightened up. i don't remember what i saw, or what i heard, but i brightened up suddenly, and i was happy.

you know, it's amazing what a positive outlook can do. i skipped up to work, where i started early so that the boss could go home and have a bit of a rest. that made her a slightly happier person; and since i really didn't feel tired anymore, i worked really well [except when i knocked a drink over. but i cleaned that up. so it's all good]. red bull gives you wings, but who needs wings when happiness gives you a concord?

you know how sometimes you go to the shops and the shop assistant gives you the evils and smirks when you knock something over and you just don't want to be in the store anymore? it works inversely when you meet a lovely, friendly store-person, and you come out realizing you just spent $200 on... you don't even know what you bought.

and it really makes a difference when you're nice to the customer. happiness is contagious - annoying at times, but contagious nonetheless. if you smile at the customer, they'll [usually] smile back, and somewhere between obligation and politeness, they might actually mean it.

sometimes, people are simple. be nice to them, and they'll be nice to you. if they're not, be nice anyway. keep smiling; cause the best part is realizing that you've just put a smile on someone else's face.

it might make their day.

and probably yours too.

so smile.

it only takes 4 muscles.

ok, i made the 4 muscles thing up. it probably takes more muscles. but just pretend it takes 4 - count each cheek as one, each eye crinkle as another. ok?