Words.

During this holiday season I have been trying to take a more positive spin on what I say and write. In the past I have been hesitant to give praise but quick to give critique. I figured people should buck up and be perfect (like me?) and stop embracing mediocrity and that it was part of my duty to let the know that. The hesitation to give praise was due to an internal struggle, I was afraid that I would be seen as too gushy. I’m not a huge fan of gushy.

In an effort to bring positive change to our metropolitan area, I recently reached out to local politicians at various levels regarding some suggestions that I had that I thought would make our area more attractive to the industry that they’re trying to bring here. These changes are small things: the renumbering of a road, the relabeling of some highway interchanges, the inclusion of connecting paths between walkways, but I believe that every little bit helps, and if we take a bunch of small steps, we can all grow by leaps and bounds. Today I received a letter from one of the local politicians in regards to my suggestions and there are meetings now taking place with planning boards and such. Small steps.

While I’m always quick to rely on electronic means of communication, I’m starting to savor the amount of time it takes one to sit down, write a letter and mail it out. I recently had an amazingly customer experience at a small retail establishment. I took the time to type up a letter and to thank them for their customer service. I don’t expect to hear back from them but I’m sure they appreciate positive feedback in this whirlwind society we live in. No need to point and click, just write neatly on the line and make sure it’s legible.

I recently watched a video of a speech that moved me. The message of the speech was clear: we need to start being nicer and stop focusing on the negative. I took a moment to drop an email to that individual. I never expected a response, I’m sure speech givers such as him are very busy people, but I was surprised when he wrote back, thanking me and wishing me a wonderful holiday.

Sharing positive vibes. Isn’t that what this season is all about? Shouldn’t that be what love is all about?

I read things about wars on Christmas and church going people punching other people for saying “Happy Holidays” instead of Merry Christmas and others mauling one another so they can get the cheapest television on the block. We can tsk-tsk all we want, but instead of focusing on those negative experiences, maybe we can counteract it all with many more positive experiences.

Don’t be afraid to share the happiness.