Hi everyone.
We continue to be thankful and showing gratitude even when life is challenging. Unpick the small positives happening in your life, talk about these and turn a bad day into a good day.
We all have a part to play in uplifting one another. During challenges we can soften the blow by having a positive impact on someone.
There are many ways of putting a smile on someone’s face. There are things we know we should be doing but don’t, like kindness, patience, tolerance, generosity, considerate, empathy, forgiveness, and so on.
Language/ Tone
How we talk to one another matters a lot.
How we say it, the verbal and non verbal communication matters. For example, telling somebody you don’t know to lower their voice when they are on the phone is okay but what can spoil the receptor of that message is the tone, how you address someone.
‘Please kindly lower your voice, there are others using the same space as you’. It may be on public transport like the bus or train, an enclosed space. This happened to me recently when I was walking down the road. I had my sound buds on and ear phones plugged in one ear while talking happily to a visiting aunt who had just arrived from abroad. A gentlemen suddenly spoke behind my shoulder as he was overtaking me and said, ‘speak quietly’. I just answered okay without giving it much thought. Its only when I had finished my phone conversation that I thought about my interaction with the gentleman, his face, expression and tone. I thought to myself: ‘who does he think he is, there is all this space on the road he could have crossed the road ‘.
It is easy to annoy somebody you don’t know without even giving it a thought.
Be sensitive
Mindfulness helps us to ask the right questions and make a positive impact on someone without bias or being judgemental.
- How are you feeling today?
- How can I help?
- Do you need help?
- In some cases you know what to do, just do.
- Ask the right questions and learn when people are hurting.
- Know when to be quiet
We are not there to judge or be prejudiced. Offering help is doing just that. By the way, its not everyone who is strong like you and me, Some are weak, vulnerable, easily hurt, impressionable and that’s okay too.
Some have the ability to cope with a changing environment and others find it all too much and overwhelming. - Be the one who encourages and not condemn.
Pray and bless those you know and also be kind to those you don’t know. We don’t have to be on our best behavior to people we know, but do the same to strangers.
Keep trying
Keep trying to do the right thing, that’s all that matters. We are human and nobody is perfect. We fail ourselves and others but its not the end of the word. What is important is knowing when you get things wrongs and purposing in your heart to get it right next time, We purpose to be a better person:
- friendlier
- a good listener
- caring
- compassionate
- considerate
- encourager
Difference is okay
Our differences make us great. Lets celebrate them.
Your skin color may be a problem when you go to a job interview, look for a room or house to rent and in many other sectors of life. Your skin color may be a problem when you are stopped by a policeman.
Privilege what privilege? Privilege is not just about money, but the fact that you don’t experience some of the segregation experienced by others who are of a different pigmentation to yours, that’s privilege. Privilege is not anybody’s fault.
- Your life is not fiction, but real.
- Be who you should be.
- Your life is not based on somebody elses’.
- Don’t try to be somebody else but be yourself.
- Don’t try to change everyone else.
- Walk in love and let your life reflect love, goodness, gentleness, self control and kindness
We are all there to inspire. Let us speak good into the lives of others. In everything we do, choose to walk in love.