A Lesson From the Convention Floor

So, as you may have seen, I was able to attend Katsucon this year. IT WAS AWESOME. I always have fun at con, and this was no exception. The highlight of this con was definitely the cosplay. It was on a whole different level. The amount of creativity and craftsmanship was unreal. You can check out the pictures I posted, but there were literally thousands of talented, incredible people all gathered there. I could never photograph them all.

Look. At. All. The. Princesses. The amount of fabric in this picture would need to be measured in miles.

This convention brought out one of my general rules for life: always take the opportunity to say something nice. If you see something really well-done or impressive, go ahead and tell the craftsman that you appreciate their work.

When I try to describe what makes convention life special, it's kind of hard to describe this idea. The convention floor is one of the few places I have ever seen where it is understood that running up to some total stranger and telling them how awesome they are is totally acceptable behavior. You ever get a random compliment from a stranger and it just makes your day? Conventions have a lot of that. And I like to bring a little of that mentality to the "real" world.

Now, I'm not saying to just go out and tell every random thing you like about everyone. That's generally considered kind of creepy. But if your coworker is really killing it at a difficult part of their job, let them know. Or if the salesclerk at the grocery store has a really cool hair style, maybe say you like it. Be that random stranger and make someone's day. We have no idea the effect we can have with a kind word.

Have I ever had any real effect with my random acts of positivity? I have no idea. And I will never know this side of heaven. But at least there's a chance I've done some good. And I'd like to put that idea into the minds of my readers. Maybe the world could stand to be a little more like the convention floor.

I'm so grateful for the random acts of positivity that other people have given. They may never know it, but they've given me the desire to keep paying it forward. This is a lesson I learned on the convention floor, but I try to carry it through my daily life as well. I encourage my readers to do the same.

Never miss a chance to say something positive.

Thank you for reading. You're pretty cool.