See the Glass Half Full
Optimism can be infectious. Take the initiative to be the one who's thinking positive and the energy in the room is sure to change for the better. At the very least, you'll be seen as that little ray of sunshine that everyone wants to be (and loves to be around).
Be Confident of Others' Abilities
Tell people they can. Don't question their abilities to do a task unless there's a glaring and legitimate reason. When you assume that people are capable, they'll have more faith in themselves and be, well, far more capable in practice. You're far more likely to accomplish something if you think you can, so help those around you by offering your vote of confidence.
Laugh
Tell a good joke. Laugh hard and loudly. Let that feeling of elation make you smile until your face is sore. Don't be afraid to laugh so hard you cry. Make others happy by being it yourself.
Look the Way You Love to Look
I always admire people who dress and/or style themselves in a way that is absolutely true to themselves. It's inspiring to see someone who cultivates their appearance with confidence and a mild disregard for popular opinion. Don't be afraid to be yourself in public.
Believe in Something and Do Something About It
You don't have to push your beliefs on other people, but being an activist is a beautiful thing. Do it whatever way is best for you but don't be shy about it. Tell people that calling things "gay" isn't cool. Go to a solidarity march. Call people out when they say something racist. Encourage people to give money to charity instead of gifts on your birthday/graduation/etc. Not all of these qualify traditionally as "activism," but being proactive is important to affecting change.
Give Compliments
I think we've all been in a situation where we've thought "wow, that person has really nice _____" but decided not to say anything because we thought it would be awkward. Maybe the person was a stranger, even. I think we tend to forget, though, that we all remember some very simple randomly-dropped compliment that's been given to us in our lives and that we cherish this kind of kindness. Give someone else something to smile about, to tell their friends, to remember when they're feeling down.
Give
Self-explanatory, I think. Your generosity can do more than you'll ever know.
Be Chivalrous
Even if you're a girl. Small acts of kindness like holding a door matter.
Be Vulnerable
We all feel guarded at times, but there is something that is very strong about allowing yourself to be open with others and expose the parts of us that hurt. You don't need to keep the walls up all the time, and there is something so very beautiful about people who are willing to let them come down. Our vulnerability makes us human.
Love
Love yourself. Love people. Love animals. Love life.
What do you think people can do to be inspiring in their everyday lives?
5 comments:
Awesome post! Chivalry, in my opinion, isn't really chivalry anymore. I call it "being a decent human being." Holding the door open for people, helping them pick up books that they've dropped, etc. is just decency. The laughter one is great too- nothing makes me feel better then laughing!
Great list! These are all simple and yet difficult things to keep in our lives.
Lovely list.
I think another way to be inspiring in everyday life is to go against the grain and do things that society doesn't expect you to do alone, like going to a sit down restaurant by yourself or a movie. Both of which I've done and is so awesome to do even though I can recall some funny looks (especially when I was dining alone. I must've looked like I'd been stood up lol).
I especially like the part about giving random compliments. I was once on vacation and saw a girl whose skirt I really liked, so I told her that it was a really pretty skirt as I walked by. You could tell how happy it had made her. I agree that little compliments like that are really important to people.
Amazing post Vanessa! My favourite is to love the way you love to look. Being comfortable with who you really are is such a hard thing to do but when you feel it, even for a split second - it's so rewarding. This whole post is great and important for everyone to know. :) x
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