Sharing Sunshine

Have you ever become so engulfed in your problems and sorrows that you just don't know how you're going to feel happy again? We learn in Harry Potter that it means a dementor is near, and in order to remove it, we must use the Patronus charm, or, in other words, create our own sunshine. I have found that one of the best ways to "create your own sunshine" is to share it with others! We all have sunshine in us, and we can all find someone with whom we can share it. What I mean is, to think about something you can do to serve someone. And you know what? It can be as simple as sending a text to someone that says, "Hey, thanks for being my friend," or perhaps, "You have such a beautiful smile! Thanks for sharing it with me!"
Gratitude, as we mentioned in an earlier post, is a great way to lift spirits. Take a minute to ponder the blessings in your life and the things you are grateful to have, and write them down. As you do this, you will find that there is much to be grateful for and it helps you to see that life isn't so bad. Also, if you find that there are any specific people you are thankful for or acts of service people did, no matter how small, be sure to express that gratitude for them and what they did. In a recent LDS General Conference, President Monson stated this quote: "Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." Expressing your gratitude is sharing sunshine.
Another thing you can do is give someone a phone call, write a nice letter and bake cookies and secretly deliver them to their doorstep(or any one of these individually), or just smile at a passerby, as mentioned in Megan's last post. There are so many things we can do to divert our attention away from ourselves and focus on other people. So, one time, I was finding it difficult to enjoy being around a person. I just found myself not liking them, but it was someone I needed to work closely with. The idea came to me that I should just serve them. So that's what I did. Their birthday was coming up, so I bought them chocolate and made a card and things and delivered them to her house. I did something similar for Christmas, and I would send them simple "hello" texts. As I did these things, I found myself feeling so much love for this person! It came from giving of myself and serving. Sharing our sunshine with others helps us to see that there is light in us, because we all have that light of Christ, the ultimate example of sharing sunshine. He can help us see that light, even in the midst of a thunderstorm.