The way we live leaves an imprint on the people and circumstances we touch.  Sometimes, like today, I realize that each moment I interact with other people, it may be a time that will be remembered, either positively, or negatively.  It means that our actions may affect people long after they happen.  So it is important that we treat people in a way that we would want to be remembered.

Whenever possible, smile and be pleasant to everyone you encounter.  A smile affects the person that is smiling as positively as the one who receives it.  Look for something good to comment about.  Be grateful and express it often.  I think about the people I meet on a regular basis, especially the ones I like and love.  Good memories are easy to make with these people.

Then, I consider how I can be positive to the people I don’t like, and people who do mean things.  It is so hard to find ways of being positive around these people.  But it is important to try.  The world is a better place for it, each time it happens.  It matters that we try.  Whether or not it works, should not be the criteria by which we judge our behavior.

Being true to oneself is so critical to the development of good character.  It is up to each of us to decide what that will be.  Being remembered will either happen, or not.  Memories of a person can be good, bad, or non-existent.  And we are not the ones who determine this.  The other person makes these decisions.  All one can do is be authentic.  The rest is not in our control.

As I get older, I realize more and more that my time here is limited.  It makes each moment more precious.  One thing is for sure.  I can only go forward from this place and time until the end of my life here.  If I start my day with a prayer to love more each day, then maybe I will evolve to be a person who is remembered for the positive things and not be a person that people will want to forget.