February: Kindness and Generosity
March: Order and Purpose
April: Strength and Flexibility
May: Relationships
June: Adventure and Fun
July: Community and Environment
August: Knowledge and Interests
September: Sleep and Tranquility
October: Simplicity and Moderation
November: Gratitude and Positivity
December: Spirituality and Resolution
I believe that out of every month I’ve planned, February’s goal is by far the most important. If the news is any indication of reality, we live in a world full of hatred, violence, stress and greed. Just imagine how beautiful and peaceful our lives would be if every person, every day attempted to be kinder and more generous to one another! Don't get me wrong, I don’t wake up each morning with the soul of Mother Teresa. I can be spiteful and selfish at times, and even my sense of humor often relies on sarcasm and teasing. I know that I have a good heart and good intentions, but if I died tomorrow, I’m not sure I would be satisfied with the way I treated everyone around me. I plan to spend February changing my habits so that what I think, what I say, and what I do brings happiness to other people.
This month, I plan to give as many compliments, words of encouragement, cheerful greetings, and generous gestures as I can to friends, family, students, co-workers, and strangers.
“I can live for two months on a good compliment."--Mark Twain. As wonderful as it is to give compliments, I’ve never been that great at it. Yes, I’ll tell someone that I like their shoes or that their new haircut looks great, but I think there is an art to giving memorable, genuine compliments. I need to change my mindset so that I’m always looking for the positive, and I need to be sincere, caring and particular about my words. I have a friend that has mastered the art of giving compliments. Instead of carelessly saying, “Cute shirt,” like I would, her eyes light up and she excitedly says, “That shirt is so flattering on you! You look fantastic. It really brings out the green in your eyes. Where did you get it?” This is obviously a great friend for my ego, but I could also learn a thing or two from her approach.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."--Plato. As a high school teacher, being kind and encouraging is especially important because every day I have the opportunity to influence the lives of my students. Many come from poverty, broken or abusive homes, or at least with the usual teenage angst, which can be hard to remember when I have a job to do. There is always that student who is absent all the time, is never prepared, and has a weird hair color and bad attitude. It would be easy for me to point out everything he/she is doing wrong, but usually this is the type of student who needs a boost of confidence the most, and the real test is in finding a way to let them know I’m proud of them. I don’t remember a lot of things I learned in school, but I do remember which teachers were nice and which teachers were mean. If my students don’t remember the plot of Hamlet or how to write a synthesis essay, my hope is that they at least remember that I cared about them.
"Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are."--Anonymous. This is easier said than done, but I am going to work on being positive and cheerful to people even when they don’t quite deserve it. There was an NPR article online the other day about a man who was mugged in NYC this winter. As the young criminal, dressed in a T-shirt, was running away with his wallet, the man offered him his coat. Surprised by the man’s kindness, the kid ended up giving him his wallet back and joining him for dinner. I thought this was an inspiring story because if this guy could be kind to his mugger, surely I can be kind when my husband leaves his clothes around the house or a stranger takes my parking spot. I’ve tried nagging, complaining, pouting, and rolling my eyes, yet none of those tactics seem to get me anywhere. I guess I'll see if it really works to kill them with kindness.
"The best portion of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."--William Wordsworth. A few years ago I was at the grocery store and unsuccessfully carrying several bags of food to my car while in a leg cast and on crutches. The task was going to be difficult, to say the least, until a woman and her two young daughters asked if they could help. I was not only grateful, but I thought it was a wonderful lesson on kindness that the mother was teaching her girls. It’s easy to go through everyday life living in our own little bubble, but all around us are situations where a person's day, or even life, could be turned around by one compassionate and generous gesture.
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."--Plato. As a high school teacher, being kind and encouraging is especially important because every day I have the opportunity to influence the lives of my students. Many come from poverty, broken or abusive homes, or at least with the usual teenage angst, which can be hard to remember when I have a job to do. There is always that student who is absent all the time, is never prepared, and has a weird hair color and bad attitude. It would be easy for me to point out everything he/she is doing wrong, but usually this is the type of student who needs a boost of confidence the most, and the real test is in finding a way to let them know I’m proud of them. I don’t remember a lot of things I learned in school, but I do remember which teachers were nice and which teachers were mean. If my students don’t remember the plot of Hamlet or how to write a synthesis essay, my hope is that they at least remember that I cared about them.
"Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are."--Anonymous. This is easier said than done, but I am going to work on being positive and cheerful to people even when they don’t quite deserve it. There was an NPR article online the other day about a man who was mugged in NYC this winter. As the young criminal, dressed in a T-shirt, was running away with his wallet, the man offered him his coat. Surprised by the man’s kindness, the kid ended up giving him his wallet back and joining him for dinner. I thought this was an inspiring story because if this guy could be kind to his mugger, surely I can be kind when my husband leaves his clothes around the house or a stranger takes my parking spot. I’ve tried nagging, complaining, pouting, and rolling my eyes, yet none of those tactics seem to get me anywhere. I guess I'll see if it really works to kill them with kindness.
"The best portion of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."--William Wordsworth. A few years ago I was at the grocery store and unsuccessfully carrying several bags of food to my car while in a leg cast and on crutches. The task was going to be difficult, to say the least, until a woman and her two young daughters asked if they could help. I was not only grateful, but I thought it was a wonderful lesson on kindness that the mother was teaching her girls. It’s easy to go through everyday life living in our own little bubble, but all around us are situations where a person's day, or even life, could be turned around by one compassionate and generous gesture.
Actions speak louder than words, so time for me to get out there and start being nicer to people!
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