“The aroma of your actions...” what an exquisite way to say it.
Every morning I start my day by taking care of the dogs, then taking care of myself. This means: tea, a greens drink, and some “spa” music on Music Choice channel, while I check emails and do some brain games. It’s a gentle way to get my day going, prioritizing what is meaningful to me, and waking up my brain.
I tend to take pics of the various quotes I see on the TV screen, or I write them down. Over the years, I feel like I’ve seen them all. Then this morning, a totally new one by Thoreau popped up. “Behave so the aroma of your actions may enhance the general sweetness of the atmosphere.” How beautiful those words are.
We all know what it’s like to walk into a room where something stinky has taken place (think: boiled eggs or tuna fish). Our response is usually to comment on it and either walk out or stay and complain/deal with it. But what happens when the stink is unseen? When the “stink” is the energy coming from someone’s actions?
Well, sometimes we confront it, but more often than not, I believe we tend to try and ignore it and then comment on it later behind their back, which, in turn, makes us stinky. Gossip is the stink equivalent of sulphur-y boiled eggs.
What if, instead, we looked for ways in which our energy - or presence - can enhance the aroma of a room? What if we choose to sweeten the space with our choices?
I think this is what happens when we meet someone whose presence simply makes us feel better - about life, or the world, or ourselves. When we encounter such a person, the aroma in the room changes for the better. Even more importantly, we have a tendency to carry it forward into other spaces and places, enhancing their aromas too. Like when you hug someone and their cologne or perfume stays with you all day. You can’t help but smile.
As Thoreau so beautifully suggested, we have that opportunity - that power - to make a choice. We can either behave so that our actions sweeten a room, or so that they sour a room. How amazing that we have been given such a gift.