I smiled warmly and said, "That's okay." She ran through the litany of apologies again and I reassured her that it (she) was no trouble at all. When she thanked me for the food, I smiled and said, "Enjoy it!" Before the traffic light changed, she was devouring the banana.

I felt very pleased that I was able to be useful to this woman, of course, but it was what I saw in my rearview mirror that made me want to share this anecdote in Yoga Bits.

The driver behind me looked extremely happy -- something that does not happen often in the City of Angels, especially while sitting in traffic. She saw the entire exchange and it made her smile.

I had an opportunity to spy a positive, collateral effect of my choice. My only objective was to give food to a homeless person. And, yet, I got a peek into how a single act of kindness nourished more than a hungry belly. It also fed the hungry heart of an observer.

So often we think we can imagine the ramifications of our choices and actions -- and even then it is frequently in the context of fear or negativity. We're much more accustomed to discounting our efforts with thoughts like, "It was only one banana and one homeless woman in a city of thousands who have no shelter. What good is that going to do?"

Asking ourselves to step up in the face of what may appear to be insurmountable odds is an act of maturity, not naivete.  And stepping up requires more than faith and compassion. Stepping up requires discipline -- the discipline not to cop out because we can't fix everything all at once.  

Everywhere we go we have opportunities to be and shine light. Everywhere there are people in need of that warmth. As one of my fellow yogis always says, "Light up the darkness."  

So this week, I challenge you to be disciplined. Be brave. Be light.