So, a few years ago, I made this list… I’ve made some changes to it, but overall it has been the same. If you would like to add to it, please let me know via the contact form at the end and I’ll edit the page over time.
- Smiles are contagious… If you smile, even if you’re not happy and it appears genuine, then it could brighten someone’s day… They, in turn, might do it without realizing it to others… In my case, I smile until I’m happy… Fake it, till you make it!
- When you ask someone, “how are you?”… Mean it… In other words, don’t ask just to be polite.
- Actively listen to others. Instead of just hearing them and then listening when keywords pop up, actively participate in the conversation. Don’t scare them away with an interrogation… If you aren’t that interested, at least pretend to be and still LISTEN. As someone said: we have two ears and one mouth: you should do twice the listening.
- When asked “how are you”, don’t dismissively say “ok”. If you’re not having a good day, but want to keep it short, you might as well attempt to be more upbeat about it without a lie.
- Before doing something that has an impact on someone else, ask yourself this: what if it happened to me?
- Signal before changing lanes… Drive courteously.
- Send a message to a friend telling them that you were thinking of them (in a non-creepy way).
- Call someone and say hello. However, phones work in both directions, so see if you can get a network going of people contacting each other instead of always pursuing others.
- Write a quick snippet on someone’s FB wall, even if it’s just letting them know how much they’re appreciated.
- Start a gratitude list and update it every day or every time you notice something that makes you feel better that you’re appreciative of. Even though this doesn’t change the world directly, it’ll make you feel better. You’ll take less out on the world, thus removing negativity from the world.
- Chivalry isn’t dead. If you’re walking out a door and someone is immediately behind you, why not take the extra 3 seconds and hold it open? Guys: you can still be polite to other guys instead of letting the door smack them in the face.
- Conserve energy: did you really need to leave all of the lights on and the temperature set to 68 on the AC when it’s 80 outside?
- Avoid drama. If you can’t defuse a situation, leave it alone until you find common ground with the person you’re having a conflict with. Don’t be afraid to calmly ask a mutual friend for mediation assistance if necessary.
- If you need help with something, don’t stress and just ask for it. While it may take a hit on your ego, it might make another person feel needed. We all long to feel needed in some way, don’t we?
- Be honest with yourself and with others. It’s a lot more difficult to keep track of lies compounded by lies than just being honest in the first place. If your friends can’t accept you while you’re being honest, then they really aren’t friends anyway.
- Pray for others and meditate. Could it hurt? I mean… Send some positive vibes for someone… You don’t even have to pray to a higher power… Just say “I hope that my friend <insert name here> can resolve or find a solution for <situation>… ”… Does that make any sense? I’m a firm believer that thought can manifest in reality, so why not be more positive? I know it be difficult and that we can become depressed. However, the more that we try to believe in positive events, the more positive events that we will notice. The more we pay attention to negative issues, the more negativity that we create.