When you contemplate the needs of the world it is easy to start thinking about faraway places.  Yes, there is hunger and drought on other continents, but what are you doing right where you are at to improve the world?

Sadly, most of us do very little.  We coast through our daily lives on auto-pilot failing to stop and make a difference.  It really doesn’t take that much time, energy or money to improve the world.  Let me share with you a technique I think might help.

It is Simple to Start Improving the World

Real improvement is accomplished through small, individual acts of kindness and charity.  A home is built one brick at a time.  At first, it doesn’t look like much, but with a little time it starts to take shape.

A better world begins with individuals.  All we have to do is see a need and meet it.

It doesn’t have to be anymore complicated than that.  Imagine how much better your community would be if more people lived this way.  What would happen if each of us did what we could? 

Most people react by saying, “I don’t know what I could do.”  Well, start by being more observant.  Opportunities will present themselves, trust me.

Here are a Few Ideas for How You Can Help

Again, this is very easy and simple.  It is almost too simple and therefore gets dismissed.  All you have to do is see a need and meet it.

Some might call it random acts of kindness, but it isn’t random at all if it is done intentionally.  Make it a point to be on the look out for your chance to help someone.

Tomorrow you might be in line at the grocery store and the person in front of you might be a little short paying their bill.  Make up the difference for them.

Your neighbor’s yard might need to be mowed.  Why not cut their grass for them?

On your way home from work today, you might see someone broke down on the side of the road.  Stop and offer to help, give them a ride or at least let them use your cell phone to make a call.

I can hear the fear junkies out there saying, “But, what if they knock me over the head or rob me when I stop to help them?”  Well, safety is a concern, but I think this type of thing is a lot more rare than we think.  It is just very well publicized by the news media when it happens.

If we cut ourselves off out of fear, what is the world going to become?  Is it someone else’s job to make the world a better place?  I don’t think so.

It is our job to see a need and meet it.  These small efforts can make a big difference!

How We Can Extend This Even Further

The genesis of making the world a better place is making your home, workplace and community better.  We all have influence in these environments.

Again, we can see a need and meet it instead of thinking things like, “That’s not my job.” or “Why should I do that?” or  “What have they done for me lately?”

This tit-for-tat thinking will get you nowhere.  It is selfish and counterproductive.  The best way to get what you want in life is to give others what they want.  Serve them!  See a need and meet it!

Let’s briefly consider each area:

1.  Meeting Needs in Your Home

We live with the people we love the most, but these are also the very people that we often fail to serve most frequently.  Would an outside observer be able to tell from your actions today that you love your spouse deeply?  Don’t wait to be asked or told what needs to be done or what your spouse would like done for them!  See a need and meet it!

2.  Meeting Needs in Your Workplace

People that demonstrate initiative and creativity at work are the ones that get raises and promotions.  Companies want people that take care of business and make them better.  Are you one of these people or do you simply put in your time waiting for the weekend?  Open your eyes and see the opportunities all around you to contribute in a meaningful way!

3.  Meeting Needs in Your Community

What are the greatest needs in your community?  We all benefit when our communities improve.  Homes appreciate, employers move in and crime drops as things get better.  Don’t sit back thinking the government or some charity is responsible for all the work.  We are the government!  We are the charities!  See a need and meet it!

Improve the World by Meeting One Need at a Time

I’ve said before that we reap what we sow.  Someday you might have an unmet need and if you’ve been helping others along the way then you’ll be amazed at the assistance you find at your side.  What goes around truly does come around.  So, I’ll encourage you again to see a need and meet it!

Photo by Ed Yourdon

My mother always chided me to be nice.  Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t.  After all, we all get grumpy from time-to-time and take it out on those around us.

We can see that being nice to others is good for them, but did you know it is in your best interest too?  Recognizing the personal benefits of being nice might motivate us to do it a little more often like when that person cuts us off in traffic. 

What does it mean to be nice?

Niceness is rather vague.  What exactly does it mean to be nice? 

Well, in my mind, it means being kind, generous, agreeable, pleasant, respectable, friendly, forgiving and tactful.  It means going out of your way to treat others in the way that you want to be treated.

The best portion of a good man’s life – his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love. 
~William Wordsworth

Being nice when you get cut off in traffic, means that instead of assuming the driver is an insane jerk and giving them the bird, you give them the benefit of the doubt.  Maybe they didn’t see you or maybe they were late for a very important meeting or maybe they just made a mistake. 

Why not just smile and let it go?  It is good for you to be nice in these situations.

Being nice also means doing kind acts.  It means volunteering, donating and pitching in to make your home, neighborhood and community a better place. 

It means offering yourself to a cause that you believe to be worthwhile.  This might be something big like saving the environment or little like helping your spouse carry in the groceries.

Nice is such a small word, but it has big implications.  It takes a little time and effort, but it is all so incredibly worth it.

How being nice is good for you, let me count the ways

First, let me say, that I don’t mean to turn being nice into something selfish.  We should certainly strive to be nice for altruistic reasons alone, but knowing the personal benefits might motivate us to be nice a little more often.  That’s my intention here.

Here are ten ways that being nice is good for you:

1.  Being nice leads people to like you

It is much easier to like someone that is nice.  We all want friends that are kind, giving and considerate.  We want and need people in our lives that support us and that will be there for us when we need them.  The old saying, “Be a friend to have a friend” really holds true and research shows that those with a greater social network are often happier, healthier and more productive!

2.  Kindness promotes confidence and optimism

Doing kind acts and being nice builds one’s confidence and optimism.  It just makes us feel good about ourselves when we do things for others.  Giving of ourselves to others builds up our positive self-image.  It also gives us a sense of hope.  We feel more powerful and in control when we make a positive difference in the life of another.

3.  Niceness makes you feel good about yourself

Haven’t you heard that it is better to give than to receive?!?  In fact, studies have shown that the giver usually has a bigger boost in positive emotions than the receiver!  Being kind and nice really is good for you.  It gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling all over.  Of course, these positive feelings carry over into all areas of your life causing a general improvement in well-being.  This translates into feeling good about yourself.  What a bonus!

4.  People will reciprocate in your time of need

From time-to-time, we all face challenges, disappointments and losses in our lives.  When you’ve been nice to others during their struggles, it is more likely they will return the favor during your time of need.  This is just human nature.  Most of us feel really motivated to help those that have helped us.  Stephen Covey described this as the emotional bank account.

5.  Doing good deeds adds meaning and significance to your life

When you donate money to further a good cause or volunteer your time to help build a house for an underprivileged family or go visit a friend in the hospital, your life suddenly becomes much more meaningful and significant.  You are making this world a slightly better place with your acts of kindness.  This is valuable and it makes us feel important which is something we all want.

6.  Being a volunteer can help you discover hidden talents

Volunteering is a great way to be nice.  It can also help you to uncover talents you didn’t know you had.  They say that necessity is the mother of invention.  Well, when you put yourself in a position to see the needs of others, you might rise to the occasion and discover capabilities that you never knew you had.  This can be fun and exciting!

7.  Being a do-gooder relieves stress and guilt

Being nice and doing good deeds is a less stressful way to live.  It creates less conflict and avoids feelings of guilt over bad behavior.  In addition, the act of doing something nice for another generates those great feelings that seem to trump all that stress that we build up from daily living.

8.  Helping others will make you feel thankful and advantaged

When we engage in assisting others in their time of need, we often walk away feeling better about our situation.  We naturally compare our lives to those that we are helping.  This comparison can leave you feeling more grateful for the life you have.  You’ll be able to see just how advantaged you are!

9.  Being nice fosters a greater sense of family and community

Your niceness will lead you to meet all kinds of people and get involved in a plethora of worthwhile activities.  This builds a greater sense of togetherness.  Even within your own family unit, you can foster an increased sense of connectedness and fondness toward one another by being extra thoughtful.  Being nice has a powerful effect!

10.  Engaging in generous acts distracts you from your own troubles

Doing nice things for others can serve as a useful distraction from the the challenges you face.  If you are trying to quit a bad habit, then generously engage yourself in helping others to keep your mind off of smoking or eating or biting your nails.  This is an excellent strategy that profits you and others!

Go be nice and you’ll experience many positive benefits!

As you can see from the list above, being nice has many benefits.  Wouldn’t the world be such a better place if we were all just a little nicer today?  We would all feel so much better about one another and ourselves too!  I challenge you to increase your effort at being nice and see for yourself what it does for your attitude and happiness.

What other benefits are there to being nice?

Photo by bayRange

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. ~ Mark Twain

A simple thank you can have a tremendous impact when delivered properly.  Showing appreciation in a meaningful way lets the recipient know that you truly value their effort.  Of course, this will make you stick in their mind and will also lead to a better relationship.  When people feel that you really appreciate what they do, then they are more likely to go the extra mile for you when you need them most.  Saying, “Thank you”, isn’t difficult, but these tips will help you communicate it so that it means more.

1.  Be specific about what you are thanking them for.

Don’t just say thank you and leave it at that.  Specifically state exactly what you are thanking them for.  I think this is the most important advice I can offer on making your thank you count.  Often, in emails, people put “Thanks!” or “Thank you” as a closing in their signature block.  Instead of being generic, tell the person exactly what you appreciate.  It can be as simple as, “Thanks for contacting me!”  or “Thanks for all your effort on this project”.  Being specific will add impact to your show of appreciation.

2.  Use handwritten thank you notes.

Instead of sending an e-mail or letter, try sending a handwritten thank you note.  It adds a personal touch and lets the recipient know that you personally took the time to acknowledge their effort.  You don’t have to write a book.  All you need to do is write a quick note specifically stating what you enjoyed.

3.  Tell them thank you publicly.

Showing your appreciation for another person’s effort in a more public arena can add impact.  When you say thank you in front of other people, then you let everyone know of the good job.  This is effective at work and at home.  Your spouse would probably love to be praised in front of their family.  Just make sure the audience is appropriate for the appreciation being shown!

4.  Accompany your thank you with a personal gift.

Include a gift that you know the recipient will particularly appreciate to add impact to your thank you.  Of course, this requires that you know a little something about the person.  The more specific you can make the gift to that person’s individual taste, the more impact it will have.  If you aren’t close, then call someone that knows them better to determine what to send.  Of course, you shouldn’t just send a gift.  Any gift should be accompanied with a specific note of thanks.

5.  Include physical contact with your thank you.

Touching the person, shaking their hand, or giving them a hug when you say thanks is another excellent way to add meaning.  Of course, the contact needs to be appropriate to the relationship.  If you hug your secretary for the great job she did on her last job assignment, it could send the wrong signals to everyone.  However, shaking her hand or putting your hand on her shoulder when you deliver such a message will add emphasis.

6.  Make it a party!

For the really big events, you might want to throw a party to say thanks.  This gives everyone a chance to thank and congratulate the person involved for a job well done.  Parties should probably be reserved for the really special occasions, but when your team member saves the day or closes the million dollar deal, then you certainly don’t want the opportunity to say thank you in a big way to slip by.  Let everyone help celebrate!

7.  Copy the boss on your thank you.

Everyone likes for their boss to hear what a good job they are doing.  E-mails are the easiest way to do this, but if you send a letter or handwritten note, then send a copy to the person’s boss.  Trust me, they will notice that you went to the extra effort to let their boss know that you appreciated them.

8.  Smile!

Remember, non-verbal body language often counts more than what is actually said.  Be sure to smile broadly when delivering your thank you in-person.  A great smile will help to ensure your message is received warmly and as intended.  In addition, you should read 25 Acts of Body Language to Avoid to prevent communicating the wrong message. 

9.  Say thanks sooner rather than later.

By procrastinating, you diminish the impact of saying thanks.  The recipient will think that it must not have mattered much to you if you take too long to respond.  The more immediate the thank you, the more impact it will have.  This is especially true when sending a thank you note after an interview.  By the way, never forget to do this!

10.  Use nice cards or stationary.

People notice the paper or card that you use to send thank you notes.  Keep some good stuff handy so you can get the the thank you out fast.  A nice quality card or piece of stationary communicates the high value you place on the relationship.  However, don’t go overboard because if the cost is too high, then you might be reluctant to say thank you often enough.

Say thank you loud and proud with these tips!

Never stop telling people thank you!  If you use these tips wisely, people will know that you appreciate them and they will continue putting out their top effort for you.  I think most of us fail to say thank you often enough and when we do it sometimes lacks impact.  By implementing these tips, you will be ahead of the crowd.

How do you say thanks with impact?

Photo by grilled cheese