Many of us feel as if we are living on a perpetually moving, cut throat, dog eat dog, conveyor belt. So many people are in a continual rush and so have neither the time nor the inclination to spread a little happiness to the people they meet along the way. But are we really too busy, plain forgetful or just too preoccupied with our own problems?
People say that if you try to change your ways for the better, you are met with indifference, ingratitude or insult from others. But does that mean that you just give up and join the other soul-less individuals whose main aim in life is just to get through the day and avoid any positive human interaction in case it interferes with their plans?
But surely we all know by now that you get what you give. And if you do take time out of your day to spread a little happiness, then you will feel better in yourself and you can make a real difference to someone else. So why don’t you try it and see what happens? If we all try, who knows what could happen!
Here are 10 ideas to get you started…
1. Say thank you (two small words that mean so much – it’s surprising how many people forget)
2. Be encouraging to others (even when the easiest things to say is ‘it won’t work’)
3. Empathise rather than sympathise (really try to understand where someone is coming from)
4. Listen instead of speaking (with so many people wanting to be heard, take time to ask questions and really listen to what they have to say)
5. Offer practical help to someone in difficulty (something that might seem easy to you, may mean the world to someone else)
6. Be positive (by being positive, you change the dynamic and open up new possibilities)
7. Be kinder to yourself (if you aren’t kind to yourself, then it’s more difficult to be kind to everyone else)
8. Pay it forward (be the change…)
9. Smile more (especially when you don’t feel like it!)
10. Make conversation with someone you don’t know (you never know who you might meet!)