Making the World a Happier Place One Word at a Time

In “Ten Simple Things We Should All Say More Often”, it talks about the things we should be saying, but sometimes aren’t.  If everyone started saying these things more, the world would be a happier place for everyone.  As the world is progressing with new technologies that connect people together worldwide (small notebook sized laptops that can be taken anywhere, bigger and faster internet than ever before, small music playing devices that seem like toys, cell phones that can text, take pictures, go on the internet, play games, and listen to music) people sometimes forget the basics of just saying “Hello.”  Nowadays, people are chatting more on the internet than in real life, and sometimes they forget how to socialize.  In this article, it suggests ten simple nice things we can and should be saying to each other.

On the list, the number one word is just a simple, “Hello.”  Many people might not realize it, but no one says hello anymore (except those embarrassing teachers that pass you in the hallway and waves).  How many of us students have walked in the hall, see someone you know, and not say hi?  How does it make you feel when someone does that to you?  It’s like you don’t even know each other.  Or “sit silently next to someone on a train, or in a waiting room?”  Now of course, no one expects anyone to go saying hi to the whole wide world, but saying a simple hello will make people feel important.  “Oh my gosh, mom, someone said Hi to me in the hall today!!”    

 “Please and thank you” are next on the list.  Sounds like a song from our favorite show Barney, but this is just common courtesy.  When someone asks you to do something, don’t you feel more eager to do it if they said please or thank you afterwards?  Or imagine this:  what if someone just came up to you in the hallway and said, “Do this for me” in a demanding voice.  How many of us will feel happy or inclined to do it for that someone?  (Unless of course, if it’s a teacher or the principal.)  People generally feel happier when you say please and thank you.  I, for instance, get really mad when no one says thank you (when required).  I went out of my way to do this or that for someone and it feels like they don’t even appreciate the time I have wasted for them.  I don’t want to seem like a snob, like I am all that and everyone should bow before me, but a simple thanks wouldn’t have made me feel appreciated.  Whenever I am in a counter at a store, my dad would always reprimand me for not saying please after my order or not saying thank you after I have received it.  So, remember common courtesy.  It will make everyone happier.    

 The list goes on and they are all fairly simple things to say, and not too hard to do.  Another example is “I love you.”  Sometimes, we don’t say this enough and our spouse, brother, sister, mom, dad, daughter, son, etc, don’t know if you really truly love them or not.  Sure, they should know by the things you do for them or they should never ever doubt your love for them because that is just idiotic, but sometimes it is just nice to hear.  I’ll use myself as an example.  My mom is always saying “I love you” to me because she wants me to know for sure and always that she loves me unconditionally and no matter what.  She knows what it feels like to not be told because her mom didn’t tell her she loved her enough.  Sometimes I get exasperated because she  smothers me with so much love, but it makes me feel good when she says it.  It is always nice to be reminded.  P.S. I love you!   

 I have a couple of phrases that I would like to add to this list.  In my opinion, I think we should also say these things more often:

“I like you just the way you are.”

“You are beautiful.”

And “Sorry.”

Teenagers, adults, little kids… we all have some self-esteem issues.  For those of you who are confident with yourself and accept yourself just the way you are, I applaud you.  But to everyone else who might not like themselves because they are too fat, too skinny, or they don’t like their nose or eyes or lips, or think their big toes is a centimeter too big, etc., sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that people love them just the way they are.  “I like you just the way you are, with your curly hair, big nose, quirky personality, your too loud laugh…” 

Sometimes people mean it when they write “Don’t ever change” in yearbooks.  It means they don’t ever want you to change to look like a model from a  fashion magazine or straighten your beautiful curly hair.  People love you for you, not because you are skinny or because you have straight hair (it can be something they love about you, but it is not the only reason).  So now that you know people love you, start loving yourself.  Plus, if everyone looked the same way or acted the same, the world would be a very, very boring place.  P.S. “I love YOU for YOU!”  (Yes, I am talking to you!)

 “You are beautiful” is an elaboration of “I like you just the way you are.”  Remember, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”  What you might think of ugly, others might think of beautiful.  Those skinny beautiful models might look devastatingly ugly to other people because they have on too much makeup or they are not “natural” (plastic surgery and such) or because their personality is the size of a pea.  I think all of my friends are BEAUTIFUL.  I have gotten to know them and know who they are and I think they are just beautiful (and my friends are not models… except for one.)  Looks are not everything, beauty is also “skin deep.”  So don’t straighten your naturally curly hair because you hate it, don’t go on diets because you think you are overweight (more to love!) don’t change because you don’t love yourself.  Your curly hair can be seen as a goddess in someone else’s eyes.  Your chubby cheeks are cute when you laugh.  Did you know that in some countries (I forgot which ones) they value people who are “big” and “fat”?  The fattest people are the number one choices for brides.  It is because that this is their definition of beauty.  So don’t think the only definition of beauty is skinny or whatever it is nowadays.   In my opinion, everyone is beautiful because everyone is different and unique. 

 Saying sorry is sometimes hard to do.  I know I have trouble saying it sometimes.  But we should get off our high horse and just apologize for our mistakes.  The worst that can happen is that the other person won’t accept it, but at least you made an attempt at an apology.  You are now the bigger person.  Even politicians apologize for their mistakes, and they have to apologize  in front of the whole world.  (Talk about major embarrassment.)  So, to start the reaction, I apologize to everyone for whatever I may have done.

 This article is very interesting and we should all commit ourselves to saying/ doing these things.  I believe we will all benefit from this and everyone would be happier.  You should read it. 

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/12/ten-simple-things-we-should-all-say.html

P.S. Please feel free to comment.  Do you agree or disagree?  Why?  Any ideas or improvements?  What do you think should also be said or done more often?