Thankful for Pleasant Surprises

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a photographer named David Guerrero whose social media presence I find immensely heartwarming and uplifting.

David approaches strangers and offers to take free portraits to be uploaded to his social media pages. I just love witnessing the transformation of people's energy from the initial surprise of having a stranger say hello, to figuring out if the intent is benign, to being delighted by the results.

Here are a few of my favourites:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dr. Ben Kim (@dr.ben.kim)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkXLLMAjJXq/

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClSdLhKD9kE/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkxAdzxDPwu/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkCh6_WDkYL/

And a few from YouTube:

https://youtube.com/shorts/3zGR9rktbMA

https://youtube.com/shorts/idZkhQjH4ZU

https://youtube.com/shorts/D3lzWuRmnFM

David's videos and photos remind me of how much goodness is in our world, and how much fulfillment comes from bringing others happiness.

One thing I'm certain of is that the greatest purpose we can serve in life is to show others that there are people in the world who want them to experience healing and happiness.

A little less than 2 years ago, I put together an impromptu fundraiser to help someone in my circle of my life get through a devastating time. I continue to remember and give thanks for every person who helped my friend get through that most difficult experience - the support that came in was a powerful reminder to me of how much goodness is in our world, and how the best thing we can do with our lives is to care for one another.

In writing to each person who helped my friend, I asked that they remember me should they ever have a cause near to them that they wanted to raise support for, as I've long believed that if our life circumstances allow, we should strive to pay kindness back multiple-fold. For some reason, watching David's video made me want to reiterate that I can always be reached directly at benkim@drbenkim.com for any such causes. I've looked to do this proactively among those I know in real life and others that I'm connected with via social media, but there are some who I have no way of staying in touch with and knowing how they are doing, so I hope that this brief message serves as a reminder of my intent.

Sending everyone my best wishes for a safe, healthy, and love-filled holiday season.

Ben