There are plenty of reasons that you might be tempted to try and make the world a happier place. Perhaps you consider yourself to be a generally happy person and want to spread the joy, or maybe you have experienced your fair share of pain and would like to move away from this by generating positivity around you. Maybe you feel guilty and want to make amends by being a better person, or maybe you have learned that being generous is more fulfilling than being greedy. Take a look at some of the small ways that you can brighten the world and improve people’s lives.
Tell the Truth
A straightforward yet impactful way to make the world a happier place is to be honest. This doesn’t necessarily mean being blunt and insensitive with your comments but rather that you don’t conduct yourself with hidden contempt or try to manipulate other people with lies. Not being honest with the people around you is a demonstration of disrespect and either your fear of conflict or the inability to trust your true thoughts and feelings. When you choose to be honest with others, you can become more honest with yourself. Lies only complicate reality and cause disruption, whereas tactful and kind honesty does the opposite.
Appreciate People
Show the people you love that you appreciate them. This might be by making a grand gesture or by simply taking the time to express your gratitude to them aloud. When you tell someone how much they mean to you, you reinforce a social connection that strengthens society as a whole. If you can make one person’s day, you don’t know how many other people along the chain can be positively affected by your kind choices. For example, if you give a compliment to your partner, they might be in a better mindset to cheer up a work colleague going through a hard time, and so on.
Give to Charity
If you are looking for more immediately tangible ways to improve the world, you should consider giving to charity or volunteering to help a cause you care about. For example, donating to veterans helps people who served in the armed forces reintegrate into society and live better lives. If everyone performed a small act of charity on a regular basis, many lives would be improved.
Do Something Thoughtful in Secret
It is one matter to do something generous when people are watching, but it’s another entirely to do it knowing that you most likely won’t be thanked or praised. This type of kindness can have a butterfly effect of positivity you may never see the results of.
Be Kind to Yourself
Although it might sound selfish, being kind to yourself makes the world a happier place since it is easier to spread positive feelings when you feel positive yourself. Forgive your mistakes and don’t expect perfection. Instead, be grateful for what you appreciate in your life and lead by example so that those around you can see what it looks like to be happy.