I love to learn from those
around me. If you’re like me, you’ve noticed some of your friends and neighbors
are setting a good example of kindness and patience in your neighborhood.
Don’t you just love that?
When you give kindness and
patience, you receive a benefit as well. So here are five things I’ve seen
others do in my community that we can all benefit from.
1.
Be on time
We all have different pressures
put on us by our schedules. If you have an appointment with a lawyer, a doctor,
your child’s teacher, or some other professional, recognize that they have
other things to do and may not be able to fit you into their day if you’re 20
minutes late. The next person in line for an appointment won’t want to share
their appointment time with you. If you’re considerate of the feelings of others,
you’ll be considerate of their time too.
If you are usually on
time, great! But you still have to be patient with those who are not yet able
to be at their appointments on time. Be the one who is on time all of the time
and avoid getting any attitude about it.
You don’t know what kind
of secret appointments God may have made for you. Stay humble and be where you’re
supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there. This is a good way to show God
that you’re available to be used by him whenever he puts someone in your path
who needs to hear his love from you.
2.
Have a work ethic
A work ethic isn’t just
about working at your career. You can give your effort to cleaning up after a picnic
in the park. You can put a little more care and concern for others in whatever
you spend your time on.
If you buy a hamburger at
a fast food restaurant, you expect them to have a consistently good product and
consistent service. If you expect that from others, you can give that. Shouldn’t
we consider what we give to our community on a daily basis?
Give your best just
because you can. No one else can use your gifts the way you do. It’s your
choice to bring you’re A-game wherever you go.
Be prepared. In your job,
at home, or at play, you know what you will need to have with you. Try to have
what you need in advance of needing it. This makes you look good to your
friends, family, and employer.
3.
Give your job the extra effort
This is different than
having a work ethic. This is about putting in the extra effort.
There are many ways to go above
and beyond. One is taking advantage of the opportunities that pop up without
warning. This requires you to be observant, selfless, and generous.
Turn “Must I” into “May I”.
For instance, don’t say, “Must I pick up after someone else?” Instead, turn
that into, “May I pick up that trash on the floor for you?” Offering to clear a
table or put away items that were out for a project will set the example for
others. You can do a quiet gift of service and see others learning in your
wake. Start a tidal wave of good deeds in your community with small daily acts.
Attitude shows up in the
body language. You’ll be impressive when people see the twinkle of joy in your
eye as you serve others without whining. Just doing the job is one thing, but
doing it with a smile is impressive.
4.
Give with a passion
Show some passion for
doing what you love. Many people get involved in a job they love, but allow the
mundaneness of everyday life to drag all the joy out of it. After a while, they
are burned out and uninterested in something that used to make them excited to
go to work.
If this is you, take a
moment to reflect on the reasons you used to love what you do. Find out if
there is anything still in you that thrills you about that job. You can make a
list of ways you used to do things and revisit them one by one to see if you
can revitalize your passion.
Then jump in. Dive into
your job with renewed vigor. Use your job as a ministry where you can serve
your coworkers and customers with the renewed passion that is building up in
you.
Serve with verve. Give to
others with exuberance and put some pep in your step.
5.
Be teachable
There are three truths
(among a whole lot of others) that we sometimes forget when we’re trying to
improve our lives and get frustrated with the process.
Truth: You don’t know it
all.
Truth: You could improve
in a few areas.
Truth: Some people want to
help you identify those areas. Take the hint.
Many people have some
expertise in the area of their gifting. But while doing quite well in that one
area, we forget that others can help us learn in areas that are not our
gifting.
For instance, the painter
is able to create beautiful art, but doesn’t like it when the tax accountant
down the street wants to brag about the art she created. These two women could
cooperate and help each other. The tax lady could help the painter become more
organized, and the painter could give the tax lady a few tips about making her
art more appealing. For this to work, both of them would have to be patient and
humble.
Being teachable is
humbling yourself and allowing another person to share their gifts with you. This
is a great way to enhance your own self-improvement, but it also makes your
neighborhood a better place to live.
Today’s goal is: Pick one of these 5 Ways to work on
today. And pick another to work on tomorrow. Set up reminders in your phone’s calendar
to do specific things this week.
Your diligence to put these tips into practice will pay
off. You’ll eventually have all of these good habits and set a good example
without even trying. Remember, it takes time to expand your gifts, good habits,
and good attitudes. Give yourself a break and don’t expect perfection in the
first week. (This is why we set reminders on our phones.)
Each of these 5 Ways shows consideration for others
while creating good habits for yourself. When others see you setting the
example of kindness, they’re more likely to join you in helping out in your
community.
Keep at it. Don’t give up. You can do this.
Thanks for making your community better.
