I Met An Angel

By Andrea Goeglein

Really, I met an Angel in a very stereotypically, unexpected place – the Post Office drop off center at a Party USA store.  Let me explain.

I stopped by a US Post Office service center to check the cost of mailing books to my distributor.  The woman behind the counter was immediately engaging and helpful.  We exchanged a few pleasantries and then she began to share about a wonderful story she had seen on television that morning.  It was a story of generosity involving an elderly woman and 10 U. S. Army soldiers.  The elderly woman had treated the soldiers to lunch.  Very generous.

What happened next continues the theme I have written about a lot this month, how one act of kindness can multiply.  As people began to realize what the woman did, they began to slip $20 bills into her pocket or hand. Before she got off the plane, she had collected more than the price of all the lunches.  When she saw the young soldiers at baggage claim, she approached and gave them all the money others had contributed.  She thanked them for their service and told them to use the money to have a good time.  It was a very sweet story.

The postal clerk said hearing stories like that helped her keep a positive attitude.

She worked hard each day to find such stories.  When she had completed weighting my packages, I reached inside one and took out a copy of Don’t Die Waiting to Be Brave.  She smiled and I asked her name so I could sign the book to her.

She said, Angel.  My name is Angel.

I looked her in the eye and said, “Yes, you are!”

Dr. Success Note:  Positive psychology is grounded in learned optimism.  Learned optimism is optimism that comes from taking actions that can elevate your mood.  Actively seeking out positive, encouraging stories of service is a perfectly positive way to achieve that goal.  Just think about how you felt reading this story.

The coolest thing of all?  My story is real.  The airplane story Angel heard is not true.   Click through to read the history this Legend.   I am currently deciding whether I will go back to the store and let Angel know the story that made her feel so good, was not true.  What do you think I should do?