A few years ago, okay maybe 10 years ago, ugghhh time is going by way to fast. I was in Utah at the Arches National Park. I was out West for 6 weeks just trying to find myself. I had been at a corporate job for most of my life and I was burnt out. I was sick of the politics, the backstabbing and the overall waste of corporate life. I had just turned 31 and I needed a change. BAD!

SO I booked an open ended ticket and took off to Alaska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Hawaii. I had a friend or two in each of these places so I felt like this would be the easiest way to be on my own but not. You know what I mean.

Anyway, I was at the National Park, one of many I saw during this time, and I really started to open my eyes on how people treat each other. I think most of the time we run around this crazy earth with our head low and little to no eye contact with anyone. We just muddle through our days fixating on all of our problems and not wanting to interact with anyone.

I though "what a shame" that soceity has become so isolated. People, in general, are truly awesome and have so much to give to each other. We each have these great attributes and traits that on first glance or no glance you never get to see!

And it is really neat to see how many different people come here from different parts of the World. So besides being isolated you have the language barrier and the culture barrier. Which is really a shame because when do you ever get to meet someone from China, Australia, Africa, London and so on.

Well that is when hit me. What is the Universal sign that will stop someone in their tracks or get them to communicate with you?

A SMILE! Brilliant! SO I invented the "Smile Game" NOw I am not saying I am the first one to do this or will be the last one but at the time I was really excited!

So I woke up early and headed out to the park. My mission was to smile at every single person I came across that day and say "Hello, Hi, Hey"? I figured what could it hurt? At least I was having fun. Well it worked perfectly. Everytime I passed a person I looked them straight in their eyes, put a huge grin on my face and said "Hello."

It was beautiful. I got such a loving, caring response from each person I saw that day. I did this for 10 hours straight! I ran across hundreds of people that day and I MET hundreds of people that day. I thought to myself this is how it should be in our soceity. NO FEAR! JUST LOVE! Two strangers sending each other a happy smile and a small gesture of "I Care Enough to say Hi to you."

Since that day I have played the SMILE GAME thousands of time. And everytime I evoke the same response. Just the other day, I was playing while driving my car. I was at a stop sign and just smiled at everyone. One couple just smiled back and laughed and waved. Yeah Baby! That is what I am talking about.

My SMILE GAME has come full circle. The other day I was watching the news and they did a story about a man who was dying from emphysema and lung cancer. He decided to sit on the side of the rode, in his wheelchair with his oxygen tank, and just wave and smile to everyone who came down the road. It was raining and he had is umbrella attached to the wheelchair with a sign that said" Hello"! All day he sat there and waved and smiled to everyone who came by his spot.

Now that is living life to the fullest! Be in the NOW and just SMILE!