On my usual walk across Central Park, on the morning of the day the transit strike ended here in New York City, I noticed that the people with dogs were back in the park.  Their numbers were sparse during the strike and I had assumed they had to give up their playtime in order to walk to work during the strike.   There was a familiar feeling of normalcy to see the usual cast of characters back in their morning routine.

Along the way, I ran into my friend, Daisy.  She’s the dog I’ve written about before who becomes wildly enthusiastic as soon as she enters the park and spends a good bit of her walk time barking happily.  This morning, I called her name and she came running up, barking as usual.  Then, she noticed a small tree branch on the ground next to me and picked it up in her mouth.  Happily chewing on the branch, she couldn’t resist barking at the same time, and I received a delightful, delicious “enthusiasm injection”.  Her delight in the moment was definitely infectious, and it gave me a beautiful gift.  Watching her chew and bark at the same time demonstrated for me that, in that moment, Daisy didn’t have to give up one delight in order to have another.  She had it all – tail wagging, barking, and chewing while greeting a morning friend.  It was one of those unbridled moments that reminds me what it means to be fully alive in the present moment, no holds barred.

I found that, as often happens after encounters with Daisy and other critters in the park, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I continued on to work.  I’ve noticed that this particular kind of smile also becomes infectious.  It’s as though there’s a spontaneous open quality to it and some people seem not to be able to resist smiling back.

This early-morning experience got me to thinking about how powerfully we affect one another with our emotions and actions.  Daisy certainly wasn’t having a fabulous moment in order to give me a gift, but give me a gift it did, because I was open to receive it.  And, I wasn’t actually smiling at anyone in particular, just grinning and chuckling to myself as I walked along.  The people who responded received a gift because they were in some way open to the quality of delight coming from me.  There’s something about spontaneous expressions of enthusiasm that carry a fundamental openness to them, an unspoken invitation for others to join in.

I also thought about how infectious difficult and unpleasant experiences can also be.  When someone is deeply angry, irritated, frustrated, or despondent, these emotional states can powerfully affect people and animals.  I remember having an experience with horses where we were shown how our emotional state and intentions were immediately reflected in the horses’ behaviors and responses to us.

And so, for this week’s experiment, I invite you to be aware of, and open to, opportunities to notice the infectious nature of emotions and behaviors in you and in the world around you.  Pay particular attention to spontaneous positive, enjoyable emotions and experiences for this week – both on the giving and receiving end.  If you find that you’re more aware of the other side of the coin – of those moments when yours, or someone else’s, negative emotions or behavior are infectious, that’s fine, too, as it’s all about awareness and your experience when you have awareness present more powerfully than is usual for you. 

The most important thing, as always, is to do the experiment without judgment.  Be sure to bring curiosity along as your constant companion, and a willingness to be open and generous with yourself as you explore this experiment.