“The message it sends is, I see you and acknowledge our kinship as members of the human species doing the best we can. I wish you well. Everyone deserves to be seen and acknowledged. In a world that many experience as cold and lonely, receiving a simple smile can bring the warmth of connection, however brief.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
Meet Nancy Lewis. Nancy is an introvert and describes herself as very shy. Nancy was surprised to receive the Excellence in English award during Senior Awards Night. The next day Nancy told her mother that she was going to write a book someday after she had some life experience. The life experiences Nancy encountered made her the perfect fit to write a book. She was an English teacher and librarian, and spent 25 years as a freelance editor. Nancy started writing her book after she turned 80 and she decided to share her life journey as an introvert who was terminally shy .
I am the target audience for Smiling at Strangers because I am very introverted. I’ve read a few best selling books about introverts that were filled with advice but very little practical knowledge of how to live a happy life in a world that was made for extroverts. Smiling at Strangers centers around Nancy’s quest to overcome her shyness. She discovered that by exhibiting kindness toward strangers gave her confidence and allowed her to be more brave. I was using the kindness technique a bit in public before reading the book but Smiling at Strangers opened up new avenues for me to connect with others.
If you consider yourself shy and introverted you may lack the qualities necessary to live a real and fulfilling life. Read this book and follow the steps that Nancy took and you are on your way to live to create a life that you will love.
Reviewed by:
Eileen McDargh
Added 7th January 2021
