How to Be a Better Person

I was driving in my car yesterday and started thinking about ways in which I can better myself. I’m not sure why I started thinking about this, but I did, and I went with it.

I’m not perfect (hell, I’m far from perfect), but I try my best. And trying one’s best is really all you can do.

In a world of pure chaos, it’s extra important to be as good as a person as you can possibly be. We can’t control what goes on around us, but we certainly can control how we act and react.

Here are some rather simple ways to be a better person if you just try a tiny bit harder each day:

• Smile
  • I mean, how easy is that, right? Whether you’re in line at the grocery, picking up your dry-cleaning, ordering food at a restaurant…take a moment to smile. No one likes a grumpy looking person, so take an extra second to show your pearly whites (and if they’re not so pearly, go get yourself some Crest White Strips #bigfan).
• Say ‘Thank you’
  • Again, this shouldn’t be difficult, and I really hope you’re already saying ‘thank you,’ folks. It’s the simplest of manners, and something to never forget. And when you say it, mean it.
• Be Nice
  • Rude people make me angry. Why be mean? There’s never a reason for it. Even if you’re upset or frustrated or pissed off, be nice while expressing yourself. Being rude won’t get you anywhere. It’s much more effective to be kind. When I’m picking up lunch, for example, and the person at the cash register is nice, it makes the world of a difference. When they’re rude, I just want to say ‘WTF?!’ Be nice, people. BE NICE. Always.
• Give Back
  • It’s really nice to give back, whether it’s to your community, those less fortunate, an organization you’d like to support, or anything else. It’s a big world out there, and we’re just tiny parts of it. Though tiny, we can still make a big difference and change peoples’ lives. Let’s do more of that on a daily basis.
• Forgive
  • It can be easy to hold a grudge. It can actually be a lot easier to hold one than to forgive and move on. However, life is just too damn short to not forgive. I’m not saying to forget necessarily, but do forgive.
• Listen Intently
  • This is one I’m working on for sure. It’s not that I don’t listen when someone is talking; it’s just that I can get easily distracted and my mind tends to wander off and start thinking about something else because my brain is always ‘go go go.’ It’s not that I’m not interested in what the person is saying to me, but I just know that sometimes I could listen even more intently, and I’m working on that.

We all are works in progress, and I think if we all try to be the best we possibly can be, only good will come of it. I’d love to know – what are some things you’ve implemented in your own life when it comes to bettering yourself? Share in the comments below or email me!

Image: Death to Stock