Earlier this summer, a lot of bad things happened and everywhere I looked people were consumed by anger, fear and anxiety.
For weeks, it felt as if a black cloud hovered over our world. Did you feel it too?
It got me thinking about how we can help the soul of the world and I remembered what Mother Theresa said, “Peace begins with a smile,” and also, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love.”
I realized how powerful we all really are – far more than we may realize and that each and every one of us can, in fact, make the world a better place.
Here are 5 Ways We Can All Help the Soul of the World:
1. Be Kind to Ourselves
Lucille Ball said, “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
She’s absolutely right.
All love begins with self-love and if we want the world to be a better place we must begin with being kind to ourselves.
This can look like:
- Thinking better thoughts.
- Speaking kinder words.
- Taking better care of our bodies.
- Sleeping, relaxing and enjoying more.
- Practicing being grateful.
- Exercising. Meditating. Loving ourselves fully.
2. Be Kind to Others
It’s not always easy to be kind. Especially when we feel wronged or thrown under the bus.
In order to help the soul of the world kindness must prevail. A cool thing about kindness is it’s contagious. The more we give it the more others will too.
This can look like:
- Being patient with others.
- Giving up a seat on the subway for someone who looks like they could use a break.
- Complimenting strangers.
- Saying, “I’m sorry” or “I love you” because we mean it.
- Finally forgiving those who hurt us.
- Treating people how we want to be treated.
3. Monitor Your News
I love the news. (I even have a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism!)
The problem though with news these days is not all of it’s actually news. Much is biased personal opinion, sprinkled with falsities or in reckless disregard of the truth.
The news can instantly affect our mood so we need to be aware of how it makes us feel and monitor our intake.
This can look like:
- Only giving attention to news sources that are reputable.
- Not believing everything we read on the Internet – especially “articles” friends post on social media.
- Being mindful of how much time we spend absorbing news (especially bad news which let’s face it, most news is).
- Taking a day (or week) off from news altogether.
4. Listen with an Open Mind and Speak Clearly and Gently.
Many of us know where we stand on certain issues and don’t pay attention to those we disagree with.
When it’s their turn to talk we tend to tune out saying to ourselves, “Sigh, whatever… I’m right, they’re wrong!”
One of the best ways to help the world is to understand where someone we don’t see eye-to-eye with is coming from.
When it comes to listening, channel your inner anthropologist and do your best to listen with an open mind.
When it comes to speaking your mind – be mindful and do so clearly and gently.
No one wants to be screamed at whether in-person or through social media so strive to communicate respectfully and calmly.
It’s the only way anyone will really listen anyway.
Before posting on social media ask yourself, “Will this help the soul of the world, or will this stoke the destructive fire?”
Use your voice to contribute positively. There really is always a way.
5. Ask Yourself Three Questions Every Day
Each day upon waking, ask yourself three questions:
- How can I love myself more today?
- How can I serve others today?
- How can I contribute to the world?
You don’t have to search for answers. They’ll come to you naturally throughout the day.
Simply ask, listen and follow your intuition.
We’re living in a time when it’s easy for people to be fueled by anger, fear and hate.
But with small, daily acts of mindfulness and kindness, together we can make a huge difference.
Together, we can help the soul of the world.
Are you with me?
Love and smiles,
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