1 Single Rule for a Great 2017

Why is it at year-end we feel like we have to stop and assess our lives? I mean can't we do this any old time, like April or October?

Nope. It's always December to reflect, January to aspire. Then by March, we forget everything and have a beer :).

To make it a bit easier, let's distill all your hopes and aspirations for 2017 down to one simple rule. One single thing, that if all your year-in-reviews and New Year's resolutions go to hell in a hand basket, you'll still have something guiding you.

And that, my friends, is kindness.

If, more than anything, you focus on being kind I guarantee it'll make for a great year. See kindness is just a form of Karma - you gotta give some out to get some back.

Now if you know me in person or have been on my email list for awhile, then you're no stranger to me talking about being kind. It's just seems like an optimal time of year to bring it up again. Especially after we all witnessed the most horrifically unkind election and the resulting aftermath on social media.

Just last week on a friend's Facebook page, a connection of hers proceeded to rant with multiple replies about something she posted. It was like 10 replies long with all sorts of people chiming in saying really mean stuff. The truly sad thing is, this has become our new normal. Enough I say!

Here's a few observations on kindness:

+ Kindness is easy - Seriously, it's not that hard. You can extend it without a lot of effort or inconvenience.
+ Kindness is universal - It transcends language, gender, religion, age. Everyone on the planet feels (and appreciates) when it happens.
+ Kindness is the foundation of all other possibilities in your life - If you doubt this one, go a week being nasty to everyone in your path and see what happens.

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” -Theodore Isaac Rubin

I think what tends to happen with kindness is, we pick and choose when we use it. If we are in a good mood, we're kind to the barista who messed up our latte. If we are in a pissy mood, we cuss at the car that tried to get over in front of us. If we wake up happy, we smile. If we're grumpy, we bitch.

There's a systematic sharing of either ugh or love depending on how we feel.

The simple part (and the part I want you to remember) is kindness is habit-forming. Once you start being kind, and incorporate it into the things you do and say on a regular basis, you don't really have to think about it anymore. It becomes your natural disposition, just something you are rather than something you do.

And this I know, the habit of being kind (or kind-er) will then snowball into other areas of your life. Aren't we pulled toward people who are nice to us? It's a life-changing magnet (good or bad, depending on how you choose to use it).

So this week when everyone starts asking about your resolutions, don't say anything.
Just be kind.

_

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