You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. -- Dale Carnegie
One day my father asked my daughter Lauryn if she was “self conscious” of her braces. She told him no but then asked me later, “Daddy, What does self conscious mean?” She was 13 at the time and I am very glad to hear that was something that hadn’t been a major concern for her yet. On the other hand I was worried that the Pandora’s box had now been opened. Each day as we go through life people try to hand us words of affirmation or degradation. It is up to us whether we hold them and carry them onward or leave them there.
I believe we can change our life, for the better or worse, by what we choose to pick up and carry in our “baggage”. I also believe we have the power to impact those around us for the good if we make it a purpose. Each day in your interactions with people are you talking about something good that you have experienced, or are you sharing a negative thought. If you start paying attention to how you relate to others it may be revealing that dark secret of your soul that you thought no one else could see. If you see a dark slant, don’t let it get you down, you have just identified the obstacle to your happiness. Start building others up with positive, affirmative language. Tell everyone that you meet something nice about them and share a positive experience. “Marge, that is a beautiful purple dress that you are wearing! It reminds me of a color I saw in a gorgeous sunset last week”. Marge may have a load of negative things in her basket but your words will replace some of that bad with good. Do what you can to be a positive influence on the life of others.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle. -- John Watson
I am not in any way saying that I have this mastered this fine art. I am far from it, believe me I know. I do however recognize other people with this talent. They typically have crowds of people wanting to be near them. You know of whom I am speaking. They are the best salespeople, the best restaurant / shop owners and hopefully your pastors. That one close friend that you still have 20 years down the road is that type of person.
Think about some ways that you can start on the path towards being a better influence on those around you. First, realize that a change needs to be made. Second, do something about it. Take the time to sit down and find five positive words on which to build your life. Use them as a filter to judge your actions. I have decided on these: Honor, Appreciation, Humility, Gratitude, Accountability. I may fine tune later but I think you get the idea.
Being nice may seem contrived at first. It may be difficult to say something nice to that person who you hold a grudge against for some long lost reason. Each time you take a small step towards helping someone else into the light of happiness brings it closer to yourself. You may even think that some don’t deserve it, but you do. Keep at it and your life, along with those on your path will be better for it.
Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. -- Aristotle
