One a.m. My roommate is asleep and I have my last final tomorrow. One would expect me to be toiling away studying Decision Models and Theory, but instead I am on a break from watching the Wedding Planner. I had intended for this day to be study-intensive, but succombed to the much yummier urges of sleep. It was a way longer nap than I had intended, but definitely gave me the power to stay up all night. Who knew that it would be doing stuff other than studying?
Yeah, yeah, I'll get back to staring at the book in awhile. For now, I'm content on mulling over my day. It's been a day of revelation I tell you. Who knew banana chips were so high in fat? Or that if you put too much instant tea mix into your drink it tastes bad? Or that a person was capable of spilling a LOT of things in such a short time period? Yes, I'm sleep deprived. It's finals week!
Anyway, during my "break" from studying, I came across an article in Glamour. 12 Ways to be a better person. Hmmm... let's dive in!
1. Ask more questions. Then wait to hear the answers. I think the best questions lead to further questions, not definitive answers. But, that could be my rebelling against Accounting right now. I'm very into abstract ideas and simply not knowing. It's a humbling thing to realize that in the grand scheme of things we know nothing at all.
2. Whenever a Gap or Wal-Mart greeter says "hi," stop for a mini sec, make real eye contact and say "hi" back. Isn't this more good manners than being a better person? Personally, I think it takes more to stop and ask them how their day is going and develop a basic relationship with the person. At Maurices, we get to know our customers by asking them more questions. Too bad we couldn't exercise that into our everyday lives.
3. Be one of the 200 people to actually vote in your local-yokel election. Ummm... what's a yokel? And I do vote. Usually. But I don't think that necessarily makes me a better person. Maybe an informed citizen.
4. Write a thank-you letter to that favorite teacher you've been thanking silently for years. Better yet, make it hand-written. I actually really like this one. With my growing obsession on the early churches, I absolutely love the idea of sending letters. It's too tempting though to merely type it up and sign it. Taking the time to hand write it puts a little of your soul into it, I think.
5. One out of every five times that you have a perfectly good reason to be pissed at your guy, don't be. Hmmm... maybe we should apply that to all of our relationships in life. And instead of focusing on when not to be mad, perhaps we should focus on how to better forgive and love the people around us. Just a thought...
6. When in Rome, at least attempt to say "hello," "goodbye," and "please" in Italian. Uhh... how does this make me a better person? I mean, I could speak the Ong Yong language all day but that's not going to affect how good of a person I am, right?
7. When you see someone running desperately for the elevator, don't just lift your hand as if to push the "door open" button - actually push it! Isn't that good manners again? And there are actually people who don't push the button? Wow.
8. Calculate a generous tip -- and add an extra buck. Manners, people. I will admit there was one time when my cousin and I came up with a system where certain people got 15%, others 10%, and others 5%. But, I was twelve back then and am way too old now to admit what the critera was.
9. Wipe off the sink, change the toilet paper roll, and when the dishwasher is full, start it -- all the things that'd make you fumeif he didn't do them. Wow. Doing chores makes you a better person? Far Out!
10. Give a five-year-old a pedicure. Rock on. I LOVE little kids. They are so imaginative and open! I can't describe to you how much I adore them. I've had baby fever since I was like thirteen! Here's a good time to confess the people I would choose to meet in the whole world would be my kids. Celebrities are great and all, but I can't wait to see the people my kids turn into.
11. Buy a piece of real art. Your home will thank you and so will the starving artist. Dude. Decorating one's house does not make them into a better person. Colorful, perhaps.
12. Compliment a stranger on her shoes, her baby, her lovely accent. Everyday I have a goal to make at least one person smile or laugh. It opens up a secret window directly into a person's soul that is so hard to get to! And what's more, it enables you to begin a relationship with them. To get to know them better. When used right, a compliment or humor can make all the difference in saving a person's day. I love people and think that in order to express that love, we need to take those few extra steps. It would be a shame to pass up the opportunity to get to know extraordinary people!
What disappoints me about this list is that it doesn't really lead someone to being a 'better' person per se. To me, a good person is ever-evolving. It's really hard to define, I guess, but I'd like to think a better person constitutes more than just leaving a good tip. A good person is one who not only leaves a good tip, but is nice to the waiter and leaves knowing his/her name and a little bit about them. They are the ones who try to stay on the right path even when no one is watching.
When analyzing relationships with God, I think it's important to remember that someone can be a good person and not be in love with God. My parents are good people. Heck, they're great people. I know that and can see that. But, they aren't saved. No matter how much good they do on this Earth, they won't go to heaven until they begin to unfold their relationships with God. Christians are called to be good people out of our love for Christ. We are expected to love one another.
If you want to become a better person, I think the best thing you can do is focus on the smaller things in life. Focus on straightening your path out a little and see where that takes you. It's a beautiful thing!
Yeah, yeah, I'll get back to staring at the book in awhile. For now, I'm content on mulling over my day. It's been a day of revelation I tell you. Who knew banana chips were so high in fat? Or that if you put too much instant tea mix into your drink it tastes bad? Or that a person was capable of spilling a LOT of things in such a short time period? Yes, I'm sleep deprived. It's finals week!
Anyway, during my "break" from studying, I came across an article in Glamour. 12 Ways to be a better person. Hmmm... let's dive in!
1. Ask more questions. Then wait to hear the answers. I think the best questions lead to further questions, not definitive answers. But, that could be my rebelling against Accounting right now. I'm very into abstract ideas and simply not knowing. It's a humbling thing to realize that in the grand scheme of things we know nothing at all.
2. Whenever a Gap or Wal-Mart greeter says "hi," stop for a mini sec, make real eye contact and say "hi" back. Isn't this more good manners than being a better person? Personally, I think it takes more to stop and ask them how their day is going and develop a basic relationship with the person. At Maurices, we get to know our customers by asking them more questions. Too bad we couldn't exercise that into our everyday lives.
3. Be one of the 200 people to actually vote in your local-yokel election. Ummm... what's a yokel? And I do vote. Usually. But I don't think that necessarily makes me a better person. Maybe an informed citizen.
4. Write a thank-you letter to that favorite teacher you've been thanking silently for years. Better yet, make it hand-written. I actually really like this one. With my growing obsession on the early churches, I absolutely love the idea of sending letters. It's too tempting though to merely type it up and sign it. Taking the time to hand write it puts a little of your soul into it, I think.
5. One out of every five times that you have a perfectly good reason to be pissed at your guy, don't be. Hmmm... maybe we should apply that to all of our relationships in life. And instead of focusing on when not to be mad, perhaps we should focus on how to better forgive and love the people around us. Just a thought...
6. When in Rome, at least attempt to say "hello," "goodbye," and "please" in Italian. Uhh... how does this make me a better person? I mean, I could speak the Ong Yong language all day but that's not going to affect how good of a person I am, right?
7. When you see someone running desperately for the elevator, don't just lift your hand as if to push the "door open" button - actually push it! Isn't that good manners again? And there are actually people who don't push the button? Wow.
8. Calculate a generous tip -- and add an extra buck. Manners, people. I will admit there was one time when my cousin and I came up with a system where certain people got 15%, others 10%, and others 5%. But, I was twelve back then and am way too old now to admit what the critera was.
9. Wipe off the sink, change the toilet paper roll, and when the dishwasher is full, start it -- all the things that'd make you fumeif he didn't do them. Wow. Doing chores makes you a better person? Far Out!
10. Give a five-year-old a pedicure. Rock on. I LOVE little kids. They are so imaginative and open! I can't describe to you how much I adore them. I've had baby fever since I was like thirteen! Here's a good time to confess the people I would choose to meet in the whole world would be my kids. Celebrities are great and all, but I can't wait to see the people my kids turn into.
11. Buy a piece of real art. Your home will thank you and so will the starving artist. Dude. Decorating one's house does not make them into a better person. Colorful, perhaps.
12. Compliment a stranger on her shoes, her baby, her lovely accent. Everyday I have a goal to make at least one person smile or laugh. It opens up a secret window directly into a person's soul that is so hard to get to! And what's more, it enables you to begin a relationship with them. To get to know them better. When used right, a compliment or humor can make all the difference in saving a person's day. I love people and think that in order to express that love, we need to take those few extra steps. It would be a shame to pass up the opportunity to get to know extraordinary people!
What disappoints me about this list is that it doesn't really lead someone to being a 'better' person per se. To me, a good person is ever-evolving. It's really hard to define, I guess, but I'd like to think a better person constitutes more than just leaving a good tip. A good person is one who not only leaves a good tip, but is nice to the waiter and leaves knowing his/her name and a little bit about them. They are the ones who try to stay on the right path even when no one is watching.
When analyzing relationships with God, I think it's important to remember that someone can be a good person and not be in love with God. My parents are good people. Heck, they're great people. I know that and can see that. But, they aren't saved. No matter how much good they do on this Earth, they won't go to heaven until they begin to unfold their relationships with God. Christians are called to be good people out of our love for Christ. We are expected to love one another.
If you want to become a better person, I think the best thing you can do is focus on the smaller things in life. Focus on straightening your path out a little and see where that takes you. It's a beautiful thing!
posted by Whit at 10:59 PM
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