A kind simple gesture does not get noticed as much as the bad ones do. Putting a sticky note on your roommates door reminding them to have a good day is not recognized as much as you eating their favorite desert out of the fridge is. Why do we live in a society where all of the kind things we do are over shadowed by all of the negatives?
On the news every night there is a story about how someone did something harmful or rude to someone else. There is rarely a story about how someone is doing something nice for another person. My question to everyone is: why is that? Why today are we always looking for someone to fail? Why are we not looking for someone to succeed?
Everyone out there likes to say they are truly looking for the good in people, but that is just not the case. Yes, we want everyone to do well in life, but secretly we are waiting for someone to do something bad, so we have something to talk about. Do you ever sit at the dinner table and talk about how great it is that someone is really sticking their neck out for someone else, or are you talking about who is cheating on who? Gossiping is never about the positive things, it is always about something negative. Now, I am 100 percent guilty of this as well. I love a good scandal as much as the next person, but I do like to sit and talk about the good people do as well.
However, the "good things" people do are defined by how well known or famous they are. You would never hear on the news that I baked a bunch of cookies for my friend because she was having a bad day. You would hear the story of someone saving a person's life. Both of these things are good things, but only one of them will be recognized. Yes, it is a huge exaggeration, but that is how our society is today. If we do not recognize the little good things in life ,then will they even be noticed at all?
My mom sent me an Easter basket filled with something I had made myself when I was in kindergarden. She did this because she is my mother and she loves me, but also because I was unable to go home this weekend due to the fact that I had to work. I was so happy when I got that package in the mail that I forgot about the fact that I had to stand on my feet for twelve hours the following day.
That one kind gesture that she did for me made my entire day. My dad called me just to chat because I have not seen him in a while. It put a smile on my face just to see that he cares. These little things are not noticed as much as anymore and that truly upsets me. It is the little things in life that make a huge difference.
At times, when I am having a bad day, I'll find a pack of gum or a note on my car saying something like "Don't forget you're worth it" or even a simple text from a friend saying that they are thinking about me. These little things that do not even take a minute to do are the things that truly make my day. But why is no one acknowledging these tiny gracious deeds anymore?
It blows my mind how one simple action can define you. You can have the best grades, the best attitude, and one simple thing, one mistake you make defines you as a person. One lapse in judgment does not make a person. As Hannah Montana says, "Everyone makes mistakes." It is human nature. We screw up at times, but in today's society, one screw up is not forgiven like it used to be. One misstep and you are that person forever. How can our society be so cruel? Why do we say we look for the best in people, when that is truly not the case?
Tiny gestures can mean more to a person than you realize, but so can harmful words. Girls especially have a memory that can last a lifetime. You can tell someone they are pretty a hundred times, but if you tell them once that they are looking a little on the sloppy side that day, that is the thing they will remember. It is a shame, but that is how some people think. Therefore, think before you speak because sticks and stones may break your bones but words can truly hurt you.
My challenge to everyone this week is to think about the little things that people do for you. Whether it is holding the door open, letting you cross the street in Greek Village when traffic is crazy, or even telling you how good you look that day. These little gestures are not even noticed anymore and that is a shame. A kind gesture should go a long way, because those are the things in life that truly makes someone's day go from bad to good.
