5 Ways to become a better person
1. Choose your attitude
Every morning when you wake up you simply make a choice, your frame of mind is everything. The words you use, and the tone in which you speak can make a whole load of difference for example;
Let’s say you have had a rotten day at work, you’re a little bit frustrated and not in the best of moods, when you get home your partner greats you with a question, “How was your day?”
You then have a choice.
A) I’ve had an awful day, customers complaining, my boss is a jerk, my staff doesn’t work hard enough and I’m fed up with it all.
B) My day feels much better now I have walked in and seen you, I’ve really missed you today.
Your partner will react differently based on the words and tone you use, if you select “A” there is a good chance the mood will be negative and your partner may respond in the same way.
If you select “B” there is a good chance your partner will respond with affection, this would be a much better greeting and could set you up for a more positive evening.
2. Invest time in the right people
You should invest time in people who matter to you and who also invest in return.
Do you really want a friend who takes days to respond to a text? They have seen it, it was a choice to ignore it and not to respond, then when they decide to reply, they start the message with “sorry I was busy”. What they actually mean, is you were less important to them.
Another example is when you are talking to people and they are glued to their phone, no I contact very little response and they don’t follow up with a question about the subject you were talking about.
If people call you, text you, come around to your house to speak to you, then they are the people who are invested in you as a person, make time for these people, they are worth investing in.
3. Think before you speak
It is very easy to let your emotions run away with you, we are human and generally, this is how we work, what sets people apart is balance. Part of that balance is learning to become objective, we have two ears, and one mouth, if we keep to that philosophy then we will hear both sides of the argument before we make a comment.
If you are asked a question, practice giving pro and a con as an answer, this way it will help you become more objective.
One day I was asked in an interview, do you consider the glass to be half-full or half-empty? My response was, “I see it as an opportunity to have a drink”, the people interviewing me were amazed by that answer, when I was offered the job, their comment was the interview inspired them to be better people and they loved my responses to the questions they had asked.
Having the ability to truly understand a question or an argument and presenting the case for both sides is a skill set that will make you a more rounded person, this will have a major benefit on your life, a time I actually inspire myself.
4. Say something nice
It is very easy to let the world go by, we all have busy lives; however, it just takes a minute to brighten up someone’s day.
Simply saying hello as you walk past a stranger, they may be having a bad day, or have the weight of the world on their shoulders, maybe it’s an older person and the only hello they have had today is from you.
Complimenting someone can also make you feel good, knowing you have made another person smile or feel good about themselves.
“I love the shirt you wearing, you make it look good” or “Wow, I really enjoyed diner, thank you, let me clear up” are two small gestures that can make a real difference to how people are feeling.
These sorts of compliments must be genuine, it will also help you build relationships for the future and the likelihood is that the compliments may also be returned if not now, then in the future.
5. Self-improvement
Think about how you can become a better person, some of my advice above will really help you on the road to self-development, however, no one knows you, as you do. A wise man once told me, “You’re the main character in your own story” that is so true, and it gave me a fresh look at life, sometimes I feel like a superhero leveling up in my own computer game, what an interesting concept that is!
Written by Robert Ralph
Written by Robert Ralph
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