Saturday Steve () and I headed out the door to meet my Aunt and Uncle for breakie at the local coffee shop. First Street, the road to all things coffee, is pedestrian and bike friendly. Which is convenient to live by as you can walk down the middle of the street with nary a care in the world. It’s no so sweet when you forget not every street is like this and have a tendency to walk down the middle of streets in general.

On this Saturday stroll, First Street was full of the normal walkers, joggers, strollers, etc. As the joggers jogged by, I heard, “I love your dog!” “Your dog is so sweet!” “Have a great Saturday ma’am!” “Good morning!” “Hey there!”

It was smiles and salutations and sunshine! I found myself singing, “Bonjour!” to everyone as they passed, after I gave them a normal greeting in English.

I realized in that moment I was channeling my inner Belle from Beauty and the Beast!

BONJOUR! BONJOUR! BONJOUR!

As she sings and sways through her provincial town greeting all the townsfolk–wanting to spice up her life. Well, this friendly vibe is the exact spice my, and perhaps your, life needs.

It hasn’t stopped. On my walks on the beach, I’m smiling and salutation with lots of, “Good mornings!”

Not that I wouldn’t give the occasional greeting or smile before, but I definitely tend to give off a I’m-focusing-on-the-one-million-thoughts-racing-in-my-head-vibe. Now I’m realizing everyone seems to be making eye contact, greeting out loud, and taking time for this tiny touch point.

I’m in California this week. There are cars on the road. There are self-driving cars on the road which is freaking me out, but my point is I’m walking the sidewalks and I’m passing people and guess what, they’re getting the Belle Effect, too. GOOD MORNING! HEY THERE! GOOD MORNING!
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It’s like I can’t stop myself. I realize I don’t want to.

I’m noticing that little greeting and eye contact and smile is the tiniest of anchors into the humans that are walking by. The need to say hello and connect and smile seems to be a little mildly-grasping way to be like hey hi I see you good morning it’s going to be ok… is it going to be ok? I don’t know, I hope it’s OK… so again GOOD MORNING!

Because that little hello. That little connection. That little moment is grounding me into our humanness.

Even though Belle wanted out of her provincial town, it’s hard not to be swept into that opening scene and want to be part of the neighborhood full of all the folks smiling and working together and knowing each other…

My challenge to you for the next few weeks is to embrace the Belle Effect yourself. Smile at a stranger when you’d normally avoid eye contact. Give a “good morning!” to someone at the office who you’d normally ignore. Give a, “Hey what’s up?” to the person walking down the street.

As my version of Belle might say, “There must be more than this chaotic, exhausting, grief filled life.”

(DUDE–THAT IS NOT A STRONG ENDING! I’m telling myself to change it right now…but it’s staying.)

It’s so easy these days with all that’s going on to swing into that spiral and be taken out…and I’m here to tell you those smiles and good mornings and Belle Effect is keeping me looking forward, helping me hold on to hope, and reminding me to be a little bit of the sunshine we could all use these days.

(Whew. That was a stronger, more on-brand finish.)

Let me know what your version of the Belle Effect is and how it goes for you!

BONJOUR!