How to BE the Change You Want to SEE

It starts with YOU!

It happens a lot. I’m not going to say ‘all the time’ because that feels overdramatic, although it does feel like it.

You know it.

You hold the door for a stranger and they don’t say thank you, let alone look you in the eye.

A driver flips you off. For what, you’re not sure.

You watch as a fellow patron curses at the waitress of the local burger joint because their ‘fast food’ isn’t fast enough.

You patiently bite your tongue as you listen to a customer rant and rave at a mistake made on their account — obviously, the mistake was intentional, wasn’t it?

As a society we have become so ANGRY.

I get it, we’ve been through a lot. The last two years of the pandemic, and now the cost of living skyrocketing for a variety of reasons, upsets all of us.

But when did we start assuming the worst of each other?

When did we forget about the benefit of the doubt?

When did it become okay to accuse another of malicious, hurtful intentions — without any basis for the accusation?

Where did the KINDNESS go?

Where is the general assumption that most people are GOOD?

We used to understand that miserable people are the exception, not the rule.

We used to understand that if we found an error we should allow the erroneous party the benefit of the doubt. They were allowed a chance to make it right.

Now, too many of us assume it was intentional. We ASSUME we have been intentionally wronged.

It’s a sad state of affairs.

How did we get to this point?

I believe a lot of this has to do with the media. The constant flow of information has made it seem like bad things are happening all the time.

Why?

Bad news sells.

Headlines sell.

Sensationalism sells.

The media is all about clickbait. They will do whatever it takes to have you click on their story — even if it’s about a subject you’ve read 100 other articles about.

They know that if they dangle that carrot in a different way — you may think you’ll learn something new. Something juicy. Something to share with your friends.

A hot new topic to gossip about.

It’s all about gossip, isn’t it?

That’s why celebrities are such money-makers. We want to gossip about them!

Imagine being able to earn money just by being yourself.

Kim Kardashian, anyone? The woman who is famous for being famous!

It’s because people want to look outside of their own lives, that they are so disenchanted with, and look at someone else’s.

We revel in that person’s highs and lows. We think we are escaping from our own lives.

As we do that, subconsciously we begin to feel a little more unhappy with ourselves.

Because we are NOT famous.

Because we have to go to work every day.

Because we are just regular people, doing regular things.

And regular people only have things happen to them. They can’t control what happens.

Or can they?

What if you started your day tomorrow by saying,

“Today is going to be a good day!”

As you arrive at work you lead with a big smile and a joyous,

“Good morning! How are you?”

Do you think you might put a smile on someone else’s face with your joy?

Do you think that maybe that person might cause a little more joy around them?

Do you think that joy might come back to you?

All because you chose to be joyful.

We’re all angry. We’re all struggling. We’re all dealing with illness and death, unthinkable petroleum prices, and inflation through the roof.

We’re all in this together.

Why be miserable?

Why not try to make the world a bit happier?

If you aren’t going to be the person to start it — who will?

Why not stop allowing bad things to happen to you, and force good things to happen because of you?

I know I don’t want to look back on my life and realize that my legacy is one of being miserable.

Who would?

Until next time………………………………………..XO-JGF

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