There was a time in my life when I appeared uptight, yet I wasn’t. Well, maybe a little bit but I would say reserved, not uptight. Today I’m as outgoing as ever even though I’m an introvert by nature, a walking paradox.
As down to earth as I am, however, I do believe that there is a time and place for certain things. I also believe in decorum and manners, humility and gratitude. I’m not a fan of obnoxious behavior, rude people, or inappropriate heckling – goes back to time and place. I think we should learn to sit with discomfort, afford ourselves the opportunity to build coping skills and well, grow up. I think boasting on social media about your good deeds comes across as attention seeking rather than promoting the generosity of your heart. And as I follow current events and witness how people on all societal levels speak and act, how they treat each other, I find it rather disheartening.
This is certainly not a holier than thou post. It is not filled with piety or judgment, but rather a perspective based on observations.
What seems to be lacking is civility, courtesy, compassion, communication and collaboration.
There are so many people who are ready to posture and bully. It takes nothing to set them off, pushing their rights and positioning their agenda. It’s all about them, and to h*#% with you.
Then, when this happens, society often makes excuses: “He’s having a bad day.” “She’s just like that.” “He’s tired.” “She’s going through a tough time.”
We all have off days. Each of us is capable of being irrational or flying off the handle unexpectedly. It happens. We may indeed be having a moment and though usually uncalled for, we are guilty of lashing out in ways that aren’t necessarily kind to those in the world around us.
But this no longer seems to be an occasional or rare instance. It’s society at large. It’s the norm and what’s worse is that many think it’s ok. It’s their right. It’s all about them. Forget their fellow man. A majority of people, sadly including the leadership of our organizations as well as our towns, cities, and country, act like high school kids who should be grounded. They taunt and tease. They disrespect others. There’s no restraint, no diplomacy, no room for listening or understanding. And it seems the ability to intellectualize or see all sides and provide a rational solution is out of fashion. We are being forced to take a side. It boggles my mind.
What can we do?
Bring the five C’s with us as we travel through our day, no matter where we are: civility, courtesy, compassion, communication and collaboration.
So often we think of ourselves first, it’s human nature, but we have the choice to choose our thoughts and actions just as we do our breakfast. Will we practice kindness? Or will we be an a*#? Will we take a moment to weigh another’s opinion? Or will we shut them down and push our personal agenda? We can still discuss things. It’s not what we say, it’s how we say it. We can have very difficult and meaningful conversations when we choose our words wisely and manage our emotions.
Let’s be willing to help rather than hurt each other. Let’s realize that most people are fighting some battle, so be kind. Let’s work together to make this a better world.
Civility, courtesy, compassion, communication and collaboration. How can you make a difference every day?
