Every day we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, and sometimes fail to recognize all of the wonderful things that are around us. I recently saw the Broadway hit “Hamilton” and a quote from one of the songs that compelled me to write this was when one of the characters said, “Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.” Although I’m not referring to New York City in the late 1700’s, I believe that this quote can be taken out of context and be applied to present day. Following these few things will bring you back down to earth and help you become the best friend, daughter, son, husband, wife, etc. that you could be.
Be appreciative.
In life, it's sometimes easy for us to take certain things for granted, but it's important to be appreciative of everything that comes our way. At any given instant, everything could be taken away from us. I don’t think that it's too hard to be thankful and appreciative of the experiences we get to have or even just the chance to live another day.
Be present.
Something that I’m sure we have all heard from our parents or grandparents is that we have the world in the palm of our hands, and with the wonderful invention of the cell phone, we literally have the world in the palm of our hands. We have the ability to do almost anything and get any information we need to whenever we need it. Sometimes we fail to look up from the little screen in front of us and become idle. Be present wherever you are, whether it be just walking around school or out to eat with friends. Live in the moment as often as you can. Look up from your phone and stop letting all of the world pass you by.
Be empathetic.
Some people take advantage of the little handheld devices in our pockets as being a way to be mean and malicious without directly offending whoever they’re talking to because they’re just typing whatever they want to say. We must be empathetic and realize that something that may not affect us very much emotionally, could destroy someone else on the inside. We must put ourselves in other people’s shoes and attempt to feel how they feel every once in a while.
Be encouraging.
There are very few things that I love more than knowing someone has my back and encourages me to do whatever I want to be happy. Encourage people to go after their dreams and to not let anyone be in control of their happiness except for themselves. Encourage them to go and talk to that cute boy at the party or encourage them to eat that donut, because you know it's all they’ve been thinking about.
Be generous.
There are a couple of ways that you could be generous either through your actions or through tangible items, and most of the time people will freely accept both. Be generous and help people out if they need something whether it be holding the door open or spotting your friend a couple of bucks. The generosity is greatly appreciated and won't go unnoticed by whoever receives it.
Be kind.
It seems like this one wouldn’t be too hard, but it seems like everyday something bad happens in the world. Be kind, smile at strangers, spread positivity. Try your best to leave things at the door and not to take your anger out on other people who have nothing to do with the situation. It’ll help people see you in a different light and let them know that they can come to you with whatever they need.
