I’m going to start by saying that I think America is already great. Yes, America definitely has some problems - many of them are out of our control - and there is definitely some room for improvement, so I’m going to offer some ways to make America even greater.

1. Treat everyone with respect.

2. Love your friends, neighbors, family, and strangers.

3. Pay it forward.

4. Volunteer.

5. Help someone in need.

6. Smile at strangers.

7. Get to know more people.

8. Talk to someone you wouldn’t normally.

9. Use your manners.

10. Avoid arguments; get in polite discussions.

11. Recycle.

12. Carpool.

13. Reduce your waste.

14. Take care of the planet.

15.Give more hugs.

16.Do what you love.

17. Buy American cars to support our economy.

18. Buy American goods and services.

19. Stop blaming immigrants for your problems.

20. Clean up the national parks.

21. Clean up the cities and oceans.

22. Visit the national parks and realize how amazingly beautiful America is.

23. Don’t litter.

24. Clean up after yourself.

25. Plant more trees and plants.

26. Raise your children to respect others.

27. Talk about race, but don’t make race a dominant part of your life.

28. Take a moment (or a few) to realize how others may feel.

29. Make changes to the education system; teach to educate, not to pass standardized tests.

“Be kind to one another” – Ellen Degeneres

I know the world is crazy right now, but this is the only life we get and it’s too short to get in silly arguments over politics. Yes, we have to look out for the economy and our law system, but at the end of the day, we’re all Americans. One person does not have the ability to change America. We collectively have to work together to make America greater than it already is. Being a decent human being is not hard. Many things we can do are simple changes, and it can really impact our lives and the lives of everyone around us. Just be genuine and kind to one another, and we can make America an even better place.