Our Behavior can make the World a Better Place
Today I am thinking about the last time I did something for the greater good. Anything that can be seen, heard, or witnessed by other people is the thread to the fabric of our society.
The future of our country starts with recognizing the humanity of other people, and respect for their dignity. Positive Actions start with a Positive Thought Process. It involves thinking about how or what would make for a better situation or a better place.
Small gestures can help bring us all a little closer. When we see someone in line that is struggling, let’s ask them if they would like to go ahead of us or offer them a hand. Open a door or hold the door for someone when we are walking into a restaurant, a market or department store. Or when walking out of the store, we see people struggle to put the groceries in their trunk. We should stop and ask if we can assist. Of course, this is when we are physically able.
When we see a homeless person, look them in the eyes and say hello. That validates them as still being people. We don’t know their story. Yes, a lot of it is drug-related but there is no single hardship that leads to homelessness. No one is saying to engage but if a homeless person approaches, we should do what we can — even if it is just to look them in the eyes and say, I can’t help you today.
I find talking and engaging in a serious conversation of ethics and morals with my children and grandchildren help to make them a better part of society. Our kids and grandkids need to see us as positive action mentors. We can help them understand how to show integrity and compassion for humanity.
The lack of respect for the property of others is becoming common and much more radical. The action of some who regard public property as communal property, tend to abuse and disrespect the community at large.
Our families should not allow our children to climb on and over chairs and sofas in waiting areas, open and experiment with toys on store shelves, impulsively pick up and play with whatever gadget attracts them. Neither man nor child should be permitted to satisfy every impulse and whim the instant it is felt. This tendency reveals the loss of a sense of what is appropriate public demeanor.
We should all be aware of how we conduct ourselves. The Private and Public words we speak are symptoms of our behaviors. How we conduct ourselves at home in front of our families, or in the public square, whether physical or on the internet should reflect our actions not as guided by impulse but demonstrated as the discipline of a Christian civilization.
Our public and private behavior can help catalyze others’ actions by providing a Social Standard that represents decency and kindness as an important first step towards changing public behavior.
People who feel good because of a lucky occurrence or the kindness of some passerby will return the kindness to someone else at the next opportunity.
Last but not least is our behavior on the Internet, social networking pages, blogs, and chat rooms that are public platforms. The information gets searched, shared, and forwarded. So the content we post can be widely circulated and is likely to live for a long time. So one of the most important things we can do is to broaden the definition of what is acceptable public content behavior. In most cases it is not what we say but how we say it.
It also helps to think before posting. We need to understand the consequences of our actions and think about our behaviors. Would I feel comfortable if my family, next-door neighbor, doctor, or teacher read my post? Would I feel okay knowing that my children or grandchildren might read my posts in later years? I should ask myself if I believe my posts reflect well of me and my family. The information I post accumulates and will provide a very comprehensive picture of my identity.
Comments, actions or images posted online are permanent, despite our best efforts to delete material. There is no way to tell who else has downloaded or forwarded what we wrote or what information a search engine has crawled and stored. We don’t know who has seen our comments and how we will be judged.
We may never realize that there is a connection between something we posted and a later result. Both, I and other people can be affected by what I say and how I say it. We should consider the circumstances of those people who take a wrong turn at some point in their lives and want to start over with a fresh image and direction. It becomes much harder when we make poor decisions that are well-documented on the Internet.
I should think about not only how I feel but how others will be affected by my words and actions. We must understand that everyone needs to contribute in a positive way to help make our society run smoothly.
