Ideas and Insperation

My editor Ciji, who is one of my closest friends, suggested that I create a list of ideas on how I plan to execute the Positivity Project. She thought it would be interesting to see how my ideas change and grow as time progresses. I thought it was a great idea because there are inevitably going to be rough days where I might need some inspiration. 

I have pretty amazing parents who have shown me countless ways to be unexpectedly kind to others. My dad's goal everywhere he goes is to make people laugh (which has admittedly been frustrating and/or embarrassing for his children over the years).  He is incredibly generous when he tips people, and tries to have genuine conversations with people whom he's interacting with. On a not infrequent basis, he has also been known to buy breakfast for a table full of fighter fighters or dinner for a random couple celebrating their anniversary.  People definitely remember my dad.

My mom worked as an operating room nurse for over 40 years before she retired.  If you ever had her assisting on your surgery, you would have been incredibly blessed. She was a patient advocate through and through - even if it meant putting a doctor in his place.  She treated each of her patients with genuine kindness, reassured them, and got to know them and their family as real people.

I grew up with these two wonderful people as parents. Don't get me wrong - like everyone they have countless flaws and have bad days where kindness is not on their mind, and my dad definitely says a lot of off color things.  Nevertheless, their moments of charity, consideration and benevolence have stuck with me and will be a big basis of where my ideas come from.

I want a lot of my kindness to happen in organic moments - not to be thought out or planned all the time.  Since I'm trying to create new habits and ways of thinking, it will be better if I do things more spontaneously.  However, I definitely have some ideas in mind.  They include:

- Sending cards and letters to family and friends

- Making authentic conversation with random people - especially if they seem lonely and sad

- I can't afford to buy people dinner, but I can buy random people coffee and treat people to cupcakes at work

- Hold open doors for everyone - but especially to people with their hands full

- Be less angry and aggressive as a driver

- Be less quick to judge people who are rude to me - especially at work

- Make sure my employees are told when they're doing things well and how much I appreciate them

- Volunteer 

- Touch base with people I don't talk to often, to make sure they know they're thought of and missed

- Sincerely compliment people

- Meet peoples' eyes as I pass by, smile and say hello

- Be kind to people I don't like - especially at work

- Have more patience - especially at work (do we see a trend?)

- Donate blood and platelets

- Get rid of all the crap I don't need and donate it those who do

- Write encouraging and loving notes for my roommate and boyfriend to find randomly

There are obviously a lot more things I can and will do, but this is a good start.

Have a wonderful day and do good things!

The Beginnings of The Positivity Project

I used to be a very bright and perky person.  Nothing could keep me down for long before I shrugged it off and moved on.  While I would still consider myself a fairly upbeat person, getting older and having frequent interactions with people as a professional has definitely made it more difficult to be so.  As anyone who works in the service industry could tell you, people are inconsiderate and oblivious a lot of the time.  Living in an area full of self-important, busy people leads to having countless frustrating encounters which can easily stick with you and bring your day down.

One morning at work the idea of the Positivity Project came to me.  I was thinking about a meeting I had with my boss the previous day, which touched on topics of how to motivate people as a manager and how to deal with unhappy customers. My boss recalled a constantly upbeat coworker he once had.  When asked how he stayed so upbeat even when serving rude, dismissive and mean people, the coworker replied that you never know what someone is going through.  There might actually be a reason why the person is acting the way they are.

Its advice that’s really true, but hard to remember and live by on a daily basis.  As a Christian having a fairly secular day to day existance, it becomes so easy to slide into a life where you don’t feel and show God’s love.  Christians are supposed to be walking examples of God’s love, and there seem to be so many people these days that call themselves Christians but are filled with hypocrisy and anger. 

I want to relearn how to be a positive, less judgmental, more forgiving person - hence the Positivity Project and this blog documenting it.  The hope of this blog is twofold. One, that blogging about it will make me more accountable to actively work on being positive on a daily basis. And two, that it might inspire one other person to try to start somethingsimilar in their own lives.  I know the idea is not new or revolutionary, and there are already blogs and websites dedicated to similar movements and lifestyles, but this is my journey to being a better, more grateful person.

As anyone who has experienced it knows, small acts of kindness can leave a huge mark.  Real, personal conversations with a bank teller, server or cashier can make them actually feel like a person.  Recognizing someone who needs help holding a door open, or carrying something and easing their burden can brighten someone’s day.  Genuine compliments or unexpected cards in the mail can make people feel special and loved.  My goal is to do something positive for someone every day – either for a stranger, friend, or loved one - even if it’s something small. 

The world can be a miserable place. This is my attempt to make myself (and it) a bit better.