Oreo Madness

I recently saw the endearing “Wonderfilled Anthem” Oreo cookie ad and it made me think about New Year’s resolutions (perhaps you’ve forgotten yours already).

Have you seen these ads? I may be late in viewing this campaign (I’m not much of a commercial watcher), but not only is the namesake tune catchy, the message could change your New Year’s resolution. Like the imaginative story in the ad, you too could make your piece of the world a better place, one small action at a time.

It might not be an Oreo cookie, but each of us has gifts that give us joy when we use them and, perhaps more importantly, that we can share.

My New Year’s resolution (read “wonderfilled anthem”) might go like this…

Wonder if I shared a smile and a kind word with the harried cashier at the local grocery store, would she pass the smile and kind word along to every other customer that day and then go home and share a laugh and a great big hug with her kids?

Or it could go like this…

Wonder if I spent extra time at St Simon’s After School Program, helping the children with their homework, would they go home and share what they learned with their parents and siblings and develop a real love of learning that changes their life trajectory?

Small or large, the idea of “pass it on” (or in the words of the commercial, “would they pass that wonder on?”) still has resonance. When you share the gifts with which you’ve been blessed – joy for life, smarts, compassion, financial wealth, grace in times of trouble (the list could go on and on) – they can be multiplied immeasurably in the hearts and lives they touch. And – bonus! - research shows the action may improve your health!*

The New Year causes us to reflect on our lives, often how we can improve our own well-being as well as others. And this brings me back to Oreo cookies.

The big bad wolf in the ad, upon receiving the gift of an Oreo cookie, does not blow the house down, but instead helps the pigs improve their lives (and seems to have fun in the process). Could our New Year’s resolution include passing on one of our gifts in a small or large way?

What is your New Year’s resolution, your “wonderfilled anthem?” What will you do this year at work that changes the perspective of a co-worker for the better? What might you do this year that creates a loving and encouraging environment for your family? What volunteer activity could you do this year that improves your broader community? In having a positive impact on another human being, how will your life change this year?

Just as the song in the ad suggests, “I just got the feeling that it might work out all right.”

*Source: Luks, Allan. The Healing Power of Doing Good: The Health and Spiritual Benefits of Helping Others.

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