Life is either a daring adventure or nothing

7000 Smiles Challenge

How many of us dare to take on the challenge of going to the streets, blessing a stranger with an act of kindness and getting them to smile and pose for a camera shot? If you think it's an easy task.. take it as a personal challenge for yourself this coming week... and you would be surprised that it's not as easy as you may think! =P

This past week I have been actively engaging in this 7000 Smiles Challenge which my church has set out to complete. And it is also in line with what Singapore is promoting on the 4 Million Smiles Challenge. You can read more about this news HERE!.

Yesterday I replicated this challenge for my youths! I brought them to City Hall for a quick dinner before setting them off in groups of threes to engage in this challenge. Most of them were pretty ra-ra and it was easy for them to catch up with strangers along the mall and take photos with us. But there were also some boys whom were rather shy to step out.. took them quite a while to get started, but once they got a few successful Smiles from the people, they were zooming around everywhere actively already. While this old man me was panting hard behind playing catch up to help them take photos! haha...

One aim that I had when initiating this challenge for my youths was wanting to help them overcome certain fears they have in themselves. Some were fearful of talking to stranger... some were shy and quiet by nature and had to step out of their comfort zone... some were just too logical and kept analyzing people that walked past to see if they were "potential targets"... while others were fearful of rejections. But I am proud to say of my youths that by the end of the 1-hour challenge, all of them overcame these fears they had and conquered them!

Seeming a small project.. but when reality dawned, it was a huge challenge... But these bunch of youths....

They came... they tried... and they overcame! Proud of you guys!