Words of wisdom Wednesday

‘Be kinder than is necessary.’

It seems like a good place to start for today’s (hopefully) uplifting message.  It’s ties in the book reviews of this week and is something I feel we could all do a little more and would all be happy to receive.

It’s very noticeable in London, and I think in some ways is a sign of the times, people are in such a rush, they have no time for anything or anyone, and just seem more angry…more aggressive.  I did wonder if this was just me getting older and losing my patience or tolerance for people but  I think overall the world is getting more aggressive.

We have lost the respect we have for the elderly.  We have lost the respect for customers if we work in a shop.  How many times do you are an inconvenience when you go into a shop these days and have to break up the staff chatting so you can be served?

Back in my day I would’ve been hung drawn and quartered if I served people in a shop the way so many serve today.

Ok, I accept that is a gross generalisation, but it makes a point doesn’t it!

When someone serves you how they should, or says sorry when they bump into you – it sticks with you – it is nice, it is the way it should be.

When you walk down the street with a smile instead of a scowl the world feels that little bit better.

When instead of huffing and tutting when you are held up – just accept it and use it as a moment to daydream, sort out what you need to do for the day, take a moment to read for a bit longer, whatever is holding you up – getting you angry – take a deep breath and keep smiling.

Try to live a little more peacefully, a little more calmly. 

Try to smile.  Try to be nice.  Try to be kinder than is necessary.

We all rush so much – maybe more so in the city – there is a real pressure to be fabulous at all times – to be out – to be doing something ‘amazing darling.’ Which is all fine and good and I think we all need to have a few hedonistic years behind us but don’t forget about yourself – to invest in you – to look after yourself.  We feel guilty for turning the phone off and just curling up with a movie or a book.  To not want to go out and just hang out with ourselves.  We need to be comfortable with who we are to be able to get through life, to have the confidence in ourselves to be able to go out into the big bad world.  To have the recharge needed to live at today’s pace.

Try to be kind to yourself.  Try to be kinder than is necessary.

Adopt this mantra for friends, for family, for colleagues, for the random you see on the train/bus.

If you are at school or in the work place or out for an evening – don’t be the bitch that is slagging off anyone you feel threatened by.  It doesn’t make you prettier or thinner or more butch, it just shows an ugly side to your nature.

If someone looks a little different don’t stare or laugh or be mean – take a moment to think about how that person probably feels – take a moment to think about what they have to face every day when life is tough enough.  Take a moment and be the brave one, be the strong one – strike out against the norm’ that society unwittingly creates sometimes and be the one to reach out a hand of friendship.  Be the one to be kinder than is necessary.

If you don’t like someone – rather than being a little bitch to them – maybe try to work out why – what are you threatened by? Are they too much like you? Do they express behaviour that you see in yourself that you don’t like? Are you not able to put them in a box so you feel threatened?  Maybe take the moral high ground and again offer out a hand of friendship.

It takes far less effort to be nice.  It fills your own life with happiness when you are spreading happiness rather than meanness.

When you are responsible for someone else’s smile rather than their tears that has surely got to be a good thing.

The world can be such a cruel place that we can forget how beautiful it can also be, that’s not just mother nature – that’s people too.

It’s easy to forget that humans are good.  The news, the papers, the magazines, they are all filled with rot, such depressing stories – it’s easy to get demoralised.  Everyone is feeling the pinch on their wallet – the fear of housing stability….and to be honest – just getting through the day can be tough enough.

So if you find you are not that nice sometimes – try to change that – we all have off days but a bully is something different – a child bully is not nice but an adult bully is positively ugly.

If we all looked after our nearest and dearest and looked after our little patch of earth the best we could and raised our children to be decent and kind human beans the world would be a much better place.  If we all tried just a little to be kind…..to be kinder…..to be kinder than is necessary…….we would live in a beautiful world.