There are several projects in the world aiming to spread a million or a billion smiles. Not metaphorical smiles, but real ones. The exact number of smiles is not important but the spirit is.
The underlying assumption behind such projects is simple: by spreading smiles on the faces of a significantly huge number of people, there is a good chance that some of these individuals will spread smiles to the people in their vicinity and will probably result in a happier world or a little bit less agonized world for a moment. It is an exciting dream to work for.
On similar lines, what if we focused on steps, extra miles?
How our world would change if we aimed to create a culture that motivates people to walk an extra mile, a few more steps than what is generally expected of them.
All of us have come across individuals who walk extra steps. They are the ones whom we never forget and that experience is not as fleeting as a smile. When a local grocer helps us find fresh vegetables from a mixed lot or a pharmacist who helps us in figuring out a low-cost but equally effective medicine, these experiences change us. The world needs such small extra steps, extra miles. When we promote such a culture, the bar of expectation is raised and a few generations later, it becomes a norm.
Whether we know it or not, we’re constantly in a process of normalizing something or the other. A little bit of self-awareness and collective consciousness helps in creating the future we appreciate.
And what about the smiles? Well, aren’t the extra steps going to create satisfaction, belonging, and smiles?