How do you Smell?

Be the attitude you want to be around.

-Tim DeTellis

While visiting my father in Pennsylvania, my husband and I attended his church service. My husband is Jewish and was quite curious about what other churches have for services. I am not an overly religious person, I believe in a higher power but not quite sure where I stand on organized religion. But I entered the church with an open mind, how can you not with a preacher named Pastor Rocky.

The subject of that day’s service immediately struck me and has sat with me well over a year later. The title: How do you smell?

You know when you smell something really great; it is impossible not to smile. Some of us may even close our eyes and take a deeper inhalation to commit that smell to memory – perhaps it is the way Mom makes your favorite dinner, the scent of fresh cut grass, the air when you know rain is coming. The flip side of that is, we all know when we smell something terrible. Our reactions may be to scrunch up our face or plug our noses – perhaps it is the smell of rotting food, or garbage, or dirty diapers.

Pastor Rocky then equated this to behavior. When you see someone treated poorly the emotional reaction can range from sorrow, to the scrunched up face of anger. While when we see acts of kindness, gratitude, and love we smile and bask in the light of human kindness.

This is a wonderful opportunity for each of us in every moment to stop and ask, how do I smell? Do I smell good? Would I want to be around me?

If the answer is no – the good news is you can do something about that. This one little question can instantly prompt you to a different action. You can choose to say I don’t like me very much right now, I don’t smell very well….and adjust your action accordingly to what makes you feel good to be you.

This is a wonderful act in compassion for others. The more you do this, I guarantee you will notice others acting differently towards you. They will begin treating you how you want to be treated.