In light of the events that took place in Paris two weeks ago, I’ve found myself facing several troubling thoughts that, even now, I can’t make sense of. At least 129 people lost their lives in the attacks, and many more were left wounded, both physically and mentally. What happened was a tragedy that shook our entire world.

I think that there are a lot of ways to respond to what happened in Paris. With anger, sadness, fear, confusion. Maybe you responded by changing your Facebook profile picture to show support. Or you said a prayer for those who lost their lives. Maybe you cursed those who committed the act of terror.

In my opinion, there isn’t a right or wrong way to react to something like this.

However, I would like to propose another response that may not have been the first thing to come to your mind. When I think about the Paris attacks, and other destructive events that have taken place in the world, I think about those who directly take part in them. I think about how the world seems to be filled with hate and with people who have been consumed by it. And I every time, I find myself wishing that there were more genuinely good people in the world.

And with that in mind, I propose another response to the Paris attacks.

Respond by being a better person.

You don’t have to change the world to leave your mark on it. You just need to be the best person that you can be.

It’s easy to let hate into our lives, and eventually we could let it consume us. Or we could do something about it. We may not be able to change the way that others think, and stop them from committing crimes, but we can start with ourselves and lead by example.

So make a change in your own life.

1. Be thankful.

Okay, I know this one seems a bit obvious and overstated, but I think it’s important. When I think about this, I always think of holding the door for someone. Anytime someone holds the door for me, I respond by saying thank you. Even if it’s awkward, or if they have headphones in, or if my mouth is currently stuffed with food. No matter the situation, I make an effort to say "thank you." They may not hear me and they may not care, but I think it’s important to say thank you. Because, really, I didn’t want to open that door for myself.

So next time you’re thankful for something, just say it. Don’t keep it to yourself.

2. ARK: Act of Random Kindness.

This may be a bit of a hard one for you. I personally struggle with this every day, and fully intend to work at it in the future. But if you’re on the road to being a better person, a good way to start is by performing an act of random kindness, or ARK for short. It can be anything. You can help someone carry some heavy boxes, or hand someone a box of tissues because they’re crying. If you want, you can secretly pay for my strawberry donut at Dunkin. I wouldn’t say no.

The important thing here is to make sure you do it for the right reason. Don’t perform an ARK because you want a pat on the back. Do it because you want to help someone or you want to brighten up their day.

3. Believe in something.

Believe in anything. In yourself. In your future. In your religion. Just believe. Give yourself something to work towards and a reason to work. Don't just walk through life without purpose. Believe in something, and live your life to the fullest.

4. Love.

This goes without saying. You need to love. Love when it's easy, but most especially when it's hard. Love until it hurts, even when you're heartbroken on the bathroom floor, holding the pieces together. I find that too many people have closed themselves off to strong emotions because they fear being broken. They go numb to feeling anything at all.

Our emotions make us human, and our world is in desperate need for our humanity. Open yourself back up. Love something. More importantly, love yourself.

I'm not an expert on what it takes to be a good person, and I know that I'll never be without fault. However, I do think that it's worth it to make a change towards bettering ourselves.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi