As a parent we all want to raise decent kids. But I wonder, is that all we want to strive for? Decent? Why not shoot higher? Don’t we want kind, compassionate kids? How about truly great model individuals? My next thought on the heels of this is, what’s the difference? What changes in behavior would raise one from being decent to being compassionate and from there to being a model to which others are compared? I tried to sort it out in my head as I lay there, procrastinating having to get up and start my day.
To be decent you would say things like:
- Clean up after yourself.
- If you use something put it back where you found it.
- If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.
- If someone asks for help then lend a hand
- Do unto others as you would have done to you.
To be kind and compassionate you’d go a step further:
- Leave a place cleaner than when you arrived
- If you use something put it away properly, even if it wasn’t put away when you found it.
- If you have a kind thought, share it.
- Give compliments freely, after all they don’t cost a thing.
- Always offer a helping hand even if they haven’t asked. It’s a lot easier to accept help than it is to ask for it.
- Before judging, put yourself in someone else’s shoes and try to see from their perspective.
To be truly great, I think, requires an inner drive:
- Search out places to help clean and beautify, like beaches, parks, and even city streets and highways.
- When you use something put it away properly when you are done, and make sure it is ready and in working order for the next person.
- Look for positive things in the people around you and let them know what you found.
- Seek out those in need and go out of your way to help them.
- Understand that even if someone disagrees with you it does not make them less than you. Look for something you do have in common and build from there.
These are not exhaustive lists, only the things that floated through my mind as I lay in bed on a lazy Sunday morning, deciding if I wanted to get up or sleep-in a bit longer. Please let me know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? What would you add to the list?
Rebecca Lamprey 