August 16, 2018

What can you do in a day? While a day may seem like a short period of time to make a difference, Terri Ann Confair, Mrs. D.C. International, suggests looking at each 24 hours as a gift and thinking about how we can best honor that gift each day. Terri’s perspective beautifully counters the ruts of negativity that we can sometimes get into—of thinking that each day is too short to achieve anything meaningful or that we don’t have the power to create positive change. Rather than focus on how little time we have or our lack of power, Terri asks, what can I do in this time? Once you start looking at the little possibilities within each hour of each day, the possibilities become limitless.
How does Terri make a difference? In the most simple way: kindness. Terri says that “Kindness and love is how each of us can make a difference everyday.” It seems like a small thing, kindness, but it really can change the world. If we spend our hours looking for ways to treat others with kindness, then all our interactions will be seasoned with goodwill rather than hatred, anger, or spite. If our goal is to act with kindness, how will we encounter those in need? If our goal is kindness, we will not be acting in violence. Kindness is expressed in small gestures, from giving the benefit of the doubt to taking in a stranger.

Think about how it affects your day when someone lashes out at you in anger, like in a road rage incident. It can bring a shadow over you, spike your stress levels, make you feel angry in turn, maybe prompting you to lash out at the next person that crosses you. Now think about how it affects you when someone treats you with unexpected kindness, as when another motorist lets you into a crowded lane with a wave of their hand. How does it feel? The act of kindness brings a glimmer of light and a feeling of lightness, a lifting of the weight of whatever stress you carry. It may make you want to pass that kindness along, letting someone else in front of you for no other reason than to be kind. Perhaps this is part of what is meant by the Marianne Williamson quote that inspires Terri: “When we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” Bringing the light of kindness into someone’s life takes no time at all, and there’s no telling what chain of kindnesses a single act may put into motion!
Terri has loved how the Mrs.International organization has connected her with “amazing women from all parts of the world dedicated to making the world a better place, as well as participating in multiple service opportunities.” By valuing the charitable involvement of married women, the organization spreads the light of kindness around the globe, inspiring others to look around for the ways they can bring light to their community. Terri encourages everyone to “open your eyes to those in need in the community and find your niche and use your gifts to work in that area. You can research non-profits in your area to find one that you have an interest in helping with or that align with a skill or interest you already have to start.”

Thank you, Mrs. D.C., for the reminder that each hour is rich with possibility!