With all that is going on right now, of course our immediate reaction is to be cynical about, well, everything really. The attacks in Paris and Beirut, constant controversy about racism on every side, social media arguments, and ongoing political debates are sure to get everyone riled up in some way. A lot of people are asking, “How could people be so cruel?” Well, through all of this hostility, it’s hard to see that there are some uplifting acts of kindness happening, but they are happening. Do the world and yourself a favor for at least today, and choose decency over malice.
Your mood can be compromised before your day even starts just by reading or listening to the news. Shootings, police violence, and other random hate messages you see on Facebook will put a damper on your day even if you don’t realize it. Just FYI, what people don’t realize is that gun homicide rate is at its lowest since 1993.
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It’s tough trying to stay positive in such a negative environment, isn’t it? I’m sure everyone else around you is thinking the same thing. Why not make that a little easier for them? Do something (or things) positive today. Just be nice!
Have you been having a bad day and someone complimented your hair and it made it a little bit better? Have you ever read a kind story after reading about a homicide on the news to have it lift your spirits a little? There can be more of those instances if you just start being nice.
Would you rather live in a world where we are generally nice to each other, or a world where (on an extreme end) start to expect public shootings and (on a less extreme end) attack each other via social media? The latter seems more like that’s what we have going on today, and it's sickening. I know this is starting to sound like a crappy infomercial, but I promise it isn’t.
It is a challenge to be nice when we’ve been primed to be cynical about everything. Being nice doesn’t mean that you are weak -- it means you are human. It means that you actually care about other people and about the world around you. It means that you want it to be better. Generally, if you are nice to a person they will be nice back. So (ideally) if you are nice to people, they will be nice to you, you will have a better day, repeat. See? Of course it’s not that easy, but you get the idea.
My challenge to you is do something nice today. Compliment someone, pick up trash on the street, post an uplifting news story on social media for someone else to read, call a family member and tell them you love them, or just smile to the cashier instead of wearing your regular neutral face. Any of these things really do make a difference even if you can’t see it (I know I’m sounding preachy again, I’m sorry). And I am aware that just being nice isn't going to magically save the world, but it is a step in the right direction.
Now, more than ever, is the time we need to reevaluate what we are putting our energy into. Use it for good, not evil.
Peace and love to Paris and its people, and the rest of the world.
