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Inspiration

Making a difference one small act at a time

oday, amid the setbacks brought on by the live longer. Plus, smiling is contagious. So simply
Omicron strain of COVID during what has smiling—even if you're bored during a long Zoom
become a cruel, ongoing pandemic, we are meeting or frustrated by a long wait at your phar-
T under more stress than ever before. That applies macy—will likely bring benefits not only to you but
to payments professionals in all corners of the industry, as also to people who see your smile.
well as to the prospects and partners we interact with dur-
ing the course of business. • Be kind to others: Similar to smiling, acts of kind-
ness, both when you are kind and when others are
As trying as these times are, I believe we can each make a kind to you, bring many benefits. As discussed on
difference. The positive things we do, those small actions happiness.com, research has shown that kindness
that may seem insignificant at the time, can add up releases feel-good hormones, reduces anxiety, alle-
incrementally, and over time, can have a huge impact. viates certain illnesses and reduces stress levels.

"The unnoticed things are the life-blood of the world," • Volunteer: Volunteering entails more than smiling
Philomon Sylvester wrote in "Little Things Make Big and being kind as you go about your day, but it's
Things Happen" published on the Personal Growth blog well worth the effort. GVI, which runs sustainable
on Medium. "In a great palace, we think of the marble and development and experiential education programs
the stone, the cedar, and the iron, but who thinks of the around the world, lists on its website, gviusa.com,
mortar and the nails? And yet, in the architecture, mortar a whopping 17 reasons why it's great to volunteer. I
and nails are as important as pillars and columns and won't list them all here, but some that struck a chord
beams." with me are that you'll make an impact, you'll make
meaningful connections, you'll gain perspective,
What are some of those positive things? you'll be inspired, you'll have fun—and it's good for
your health.
I expect some ideas have already come to your mind. And
I know many of you already take positive actions in the These are just three possibilities among many. Imagine if
world every day. I just think it's time to kick it up a notch. each of us made a point to smile several times every day,
As philosopher, historian and psychologist William James even on our most difficult days; called one person every
said, "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." week just to say a few kind words; and volunteered at a
worthy organization of our choosing at least once a month.
So here are a few ideas: With these actions alone, we could make a huge positive
impact on the world.
• Smile more: According to multiple studies con-
ducted through the years, smiling has multiple ben-
efits. Smiling can relieve stress, boost the immune
system, lower blood pressure, relieve pain, convey
success, elevate your mood, help you stay positive,
make you more attractive to others, and help you Kate Gillespie, President and CEO

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