I will acknowledge that over the past couple months my personality has taken a beating. Some days it was bitter, others obnoxious, sometimes giddy, often angry, and rarely pretty. While I felt I was “holding it in”, I knew it was bleeding out. It’s one thing though when people who know you see it, it’s entirely another when strangers pick up on it.

I didn’t get that fact until I was out on the other side. I knew the day that I felt better, and bit-by-bit the people around me realized that it wasn’t a fluke and that I would probably still be the same tomorrow. I started being referred to as “Tigger” or asked if I was “always on”…and the answer is yes. YES I AM! Right now I am wired high and I plan to stay there. I am running faster, sleeping less, and feeling better. Some might call that happy.

And it is paying off in other ways. The prettier personality has been noticed by strangers; people who have no stake in the game are getting it. The man at Costco went out of his way to get me a cart. The woman at Target told me she loved what I was wearing. The neighbor around the corner stopped to talk to me for the first time ever…even though we’ve lived with our backyards touching for over a year. People have been going out of their way to treat me well, and I am certain it is because they see a happy and confident person in front of them. My edge no longer fuels theirs. In the case of personality, pretty does pay off.