One of the things that I hate the most about the culture that we live in is its tendency to cause us to compete. And in a sense, competition is good. It can drive us to become better and improve society, but the problem is, we can become stuck in this mindset with the people around us, and we lose opportunities to develop and cultivate quality relationships with one another.

The more life I live, the more I realize how vastly important that people are. When I was young, I didn’t take the time to tell people what they meant to me or how they have impacted me. But when I think about some of the moments that have made me the happiest, it is the moments when others have told me things that they appreciate about me. This pushes me to better myself in these areas and gives me a confidence boost. And the thing is, you never know when a compliment you pass along could be the boost someone needs in their day. It could be a comment that inspires them to try something new or to keep going when they have self-doubt.

Aside from building each other up, we need to also focus on avoiding tearing each other down. One of the biggest causes of destruction is through gossip. When we allow ourselves to get caught up in gossip, it doesn’t do anything for us. We’re only hearing what other people think about people. Instead, form opinions for yourself and keep them that way. If you don’t necessarily get along with someone, it doesn’t mean that you need to pass it along. Stopping gossip at the root will do a lot in terms of how you view others and view the world.

With all of this, one of the most important factors in genuineness. You can be as sweet and nice as you want, but if you don’t actually mean what you say, it’s worthless. Sometimes, we spend so much time trying to say and do the right thing, but in the end, it’s only so that it will continue to benefit us. It’s so we can have more friends or have people like us. The point of this is to kick all of that selfish thought to the curb.

Being a true and genuine morale builder is about honesty and selflessness. We should be building each other up by thinking, really thinking about others. We need to take time to reflect on what others mean to us in our lives. I believe that every person was brought into our lives for a reason. Every person that we spend time with impacts us in a way and shapes us into the person that we are continually transforming to be. I think that it’s worth the time to pass on that gratitude for others and let them know that you’re cheering for them too!