Use Your Words

I read all the time as a child, and by that I mean every minute I wasn’t at school, doing chores or homework, or sleeping, I had the cover of a book open. I developed a love of language that has lasted me a lifetime.I notice that it brings joy to others when they hear an interesting or pretty word. So try flipping through a dictionary every day and pick a word. Use this word at least once in the same day. This will help expand your vocabulary and communicate better with others. If you have a smartphone, download a free word-of-the-day app instead of using a dictionary. Help feed a child by adding a definition to the Online Dictionary on definition-of.com.

The Language of Kindness

Learn a new language. Or become more fluent in your less dominant language if you are already multilingual. The more people you can communicate with, the more you’ll make yourself available for work opportunities. Learning other languages will also open you up to new people and cultures. A friend of mine recently took a volunteer vacation where he taught English to orphans and abandoned children in Liberia. He said he enjoyed every minute and wants to do this every year, as he loved working with the kids. As he told me this story, his smile was at least a mile wide!

Do You Know How Great You Are?

Compliment someone today, and mean it. A genuine compliment can boost someone’s confidence and that is a great feeling. If you like your coworker’s blouse or new haircut (or both!), tell her. Open and honest communication works wonders for developing relationships and makes everybody’s day a little bit nicer.

Make Amends

It’s never too late to say you’re sorry. Apologise to someone you wronged in the past, especially if you stopped communicating because of the issue. By admitting fault and letting them know how sorry you are to have hurt them, you are taking responsibility for your actions and proving that you care enough for them to make things right. However bad you felt over the problem, you will feel five times better after making peace.

Listening Is an Act of Love

We don’t always have to donate time and energy to other parts of the world. Sometimes help is needed much closer to home.  Is a parent, sibling, spouse, or friend having a difficult time? Help lift their spirits by letting them experience that loving feeling. Invite them to coffee or to dinner, surprise them with a simple gift, or take them somewhere they like. Lean forward and listen closely. Just listen.

Muchas Gracias

I learned from my globetrotting friend Santosh that one of the nicest things a traveler can do is to learn how to say the basics in the language of the locals. He stressed that saying “thank you” is the most important phrase of all. His guide to global gratitude is below:

Arabic: Shukran
Czech: Dekuji
Danish: Tak
Dutch: Dank u
Estonian:Tanan teid
Filipino: Salamat
Finnish: Kiitos
French: Merci
German: Danke
Hungarian: Koszonom
Indonesian: Terima kasih
Irish: Go raibh maith agat
Italian: Grazie
Japanese: Arigato
Latvian: Paldies
Norwegian: Takk
Polish: Dziekuje
Portuguese: Obrigado
Romanian: Multumesc
Spanish: Gracias
Swahili: Asante
Swedish: Tack
Vietnamese: Cam o’n ban
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr

The Good Old Days and the Good New Days

    Share happy memories. Keep in touch with a friend by sending an old photo to them via snail mail and write a short note about the day it was taken on the back of the photo.

Make Amends

    It’s never too late to say you’re sorry. Apologize to someone you wronged in the past, especially if you stopped communicating because of the issue. By admitting fault and letting them know how sorry you are to have hurt them, you are taking responsibility for your actions and proving that you care enough for them to make things right. However bad you felt over the problem, you will feel five times better after making peace.

I Just Called To Say I Love You

    Call your parents (or whoever raised you) and thank them for everything they did for you!

Write Letters and Send Postcards

    The things that make me the happiest have emotional and physical effects. These effects are felt even more when they are done for someone else. One of the most lasting is writing a personal letter. Born in the transitional time between letters and computers, many people in my generation have already shunned snail mail as a way to communicate. This makes letters rare, but a very inexpensive surprise. My grandmother was one of seven children, and they communicated with a round-robin letter. From mailbox to mailbox, they would add an update on their life and send it around to the next sibling. She taught me that letters are a valuable form of communication, something she’s emphasized as her memory slowly fades. I got into the habit of writing letters and during the times where I was most stressed, I would write a letter. Letters live somewhere between thoughts and stories. They are confidential and a piece of yourself that you can choose to scrap or share. 

    When I receive a letter, especially from someone whom I haven’t heard from in a while, I get a rush of endorphins, because I’m holding proof that the friend thought of me. It’s the same rush I get when someone is considerate or goes out of their way to help me. Most friends reciprocate with a call to say how happy they were to open a personal note rather than another bill. 

    I studied epistolary literature in college, often using my break from studying as a chance to write letters. Perhaps letters will go the way of Wells Fargo wagons, but I’ll single-handedly support the post office as long as my friends have addresses and my fingers can write. Letters are my personal therapy, my rush of endorphins, my connection with those I love, and my alone time-my regular serving of happiness.