Wednesday, September 24, 2008

v20.1 - Living a Better Life

Morning Folks,

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It is a beautiful sunny day today in the city of Halifax.  My new desk at work overlooks the harbor (sort of) and right now I can see the sun reflecting off the surface of the water as one of the Metro Transit ferries crosses.  It is times like this that make me really happy I moved here.

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I plan on dedicating the new few musings to a new series of musings I've  been wanting to write.  I want to talk about how we, as people, can live better lives and get the most out of living.  Whether you're just a teenager or an elderly person in your 80s, there is always something in life to experience and I hope I can show you how to do that.

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I watched a documentary on television the other night about Manners; you can read about it HERE

I won't say it was a huge eye opener for me, but it did get me thinking a lot about how a simple shift in a person's manners can shift others around them.  A simple wave when someone lets you pull into a spot in traffic can change that entire commute for that person (and possibly for you).  The documentary talks about people in general and how we've strayed away from such simple manners and holding the door for others.  What happened?

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So what is the secret to having a better life?  Well, one of the things that I can guarantee will give you a more fulfilling and better life is to remember your manners and be kind to those around you.  You could almost apply the "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" biblical lesson to your day-to-day life.

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But what about those who are always rude?  How can you possibly be nice to someone who is constantly kicking people down (emotionally of course) and being rude all the time?  Well, I'm no expert here but if you put a smile on your face and ignore the negativity that person emits, you will have a better day.  Why let someone else ruin your day?  Why let someone else rob you from the enjoyment of your life?  Take a step back and say, "Does this person have the right to rob joy and happiness from me?".  Put a smile on your face, make the best out of every situation and choose to ignore negativity.  These things will not only make you feel better inside, but make people around you feel better.

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In this day in age, negativity begets negativity.  How many times have you been at your place of work (or home, or wherever) and you've heard someone being negative to someone else.  Perhaps it was a manager yelling at a co-worker for doing a bad job or making a simple mistake.  Immediately that person is put in a negative light and a whole slew of negative emotions are beginning to manifest themselves.  Once that manager leaves, that person is now in a negative state and typically will find another co-worker or friend to talk to.  The topic of discussion?  You guessed it, negativity.  Now not only is the Manager emitting negativity, but the employee beings to emit it around them and 'infects" everyone they come in contact with.  Stop the negative monster in it's tracks and as soon as something negative presents itself in your life, dismiss it and turn it around.  Put a smile on your face.

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I knew a guy when I was in my late teens/early 20s.  He was ALWAYS happy regardless of any situation that would come his way.  I thought he was crazy and was going to suggest he admit himself to a mental institution for help.  He had something though; something a lot of us lack today.  He was able to take anything negative and turn it around.  Rain was "liquid sunshine" to him and no matter what happened, this person was able to turn it around and make the best out of any situation.  It was annoying because being around him felt good.  Sometimes people just want to feel bad and feel negative.  Well this guy would let it happen and as a result you had a much better day just being around.  Are you like this person?

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Anyway folks, I'm going to wrap up this musing for today.  Really think about the things I've said here.  Life is a gift and if you spend the majority of it wrapped up in anger or negativity, you're really not living life, you're just passing through.  Find a positive outlet for your negativity.  If you can't find one, BE one for others.  I'm willing to bet that if you starting making a serious effort to be more positive in your day-to-day activities, you will attract others to you and your positive influence will spread to others.  You will have more laughs and enjoy other people's company more.  Give it a try, it doesn't cost you any money and you only stand to feel better about life.

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Cheers,
Al

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