This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Positive Energy

My experience volunteering at the American Red Cross has taught me that a random act of kindness is all it takes to spread the positive energy to make people's life better – including your own.

I believe that energy is the driving force that controls every aspect of the human mind. It determines our mood, our personality, and how we act and react to situations. There are two types of energy: positive energy, and negative energy. 

Negative energy brings out the worst in people. If you are living in a negative environment, you will inevitably get involved in activities that are looked down upon in society because of the bad vibes that power over your logical (and positive) thinking.

Positive energy also spreads like a wildfire. However, instead of creating thoughts detrimental to our community, positive energy increases inspiration, spirit, and hope. 

Find out what's happening in San Ramonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Recently, I started volunteering at the American Red Cross Blood Services Bank in Pleasanton. I go there fairly often, and help with checking patients in to donate. 

The American Red Cross is a generally happy place. Very rarely you will see an impatient donor walk out because of a long waiting time, because the organization is based solely off of donations – meaning that the patients voluntarily come in to help out. 

Find out what's happening in San Ramonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Now, back to positive energy. I have an interesting story:

It was a slow day at the Blood Bank. People seemed to be missing their appointments left and right, and there were no walk-ins. I sat behind the front desk, eagerly awaiting the next appointments, although I knew they weren't going to show, so that I would have an excuse to not finish my math homework.  

Finally, the door creaked open and a tall man with gray hair walked in. He had a big smile on his face, despite the whole rain in June thing that was happening that day. He seemed genuinely excited to be donating.

He waved to the phlebotomists that were working, and started a conversation with me about how it was his 48th donation, meaning that he had donated a total of eight gallons in his entire life. 

I thought that was amazing. The dedication to come into the Bank for one hour every 56 days for eight years was remarkable. The best part was, that he didn't have to come. He doesn't know who his blood was going to. All he knows is that it will help save somebody's life. And that's all that matters to him at the end of the day. 

After he filled out the check-in form, he left to get something from his car. A few minutes later, he came back in with a brown paper bag. He smiled at me and pulled out two beautiful, yellow lemons from the bag. 

"These are from my garden," he said. "I have a lemon tree. I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate my donations. Do you want some? You don't have to take them if you don't want to, it won't hurt my feelings."

I immediately grinned and took the lemons from his hand. Not only was that one of the cutest things that had ever happened to me, but it made me feel good. It made me feel like there were giving people in the world, people that got joy from the smallest things in life, and most of all, people who really lived life to the fullest. 

The man proceeded to hand out lemons to everyone in the Bank: the phlebotomists, the donors, and the other volunteers. After that man came in, I was happy. I didn't know him, I didn't even know his name. 

The positive energy that that man was carrying in his heart, spread so quickly across the center. A random act of kindness, like the lemons, is all it takes to make somebody feel better. 

I think the most interesting part of it all is that with positive energy, you lose all of your suspicion, jealousy, and ego. When the man, a man that I have never met before and know nothing about, offered me the lemons, I knew I could trust him. The suspicion that would plagued me in any other situation would have caused me to refuse the fruit. In that moment, with all the positivity around me, I let go of all my fear from the outside world, and broke down the walls that were holding me back.  

This experience at the American Red Cross is one of many that have influenced me in a positive way. Being happy is one of the most important and crucial aspects of life, and most people don't understand the immense amount of influence that they can have on someone's life, just by being a good sport and approaching life with a positive mind and an optimistic outlook.

As Mark Twain says, "the best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer somebody else up."

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?