Acknowledge Excellence

Did you have a helpful or enthusiastic waiter at the last restaurant you went to? Call and tell the manager about the great experience you had. Do you still think about a college professor that impacted you? Write them a letter to thank them. Many jobs are thankless jobs, so remember how good it feels to be thought of and appreciated, even years later. Also, telling your friends and family about your good experiences with these people can help their business flourish.

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.

No Gossip

Avoid listening to or spreading gossip. This is a really hard one in our tabloid society, but gossip can be avoided. For one thing, it spreads negative energy all around. Say something nice instead. And mean it!

Let’s Make it a Complaint-Free World

    Go one day without complaining. Even better, go a week. If this is hard for you to accomplish, it’s time to make some changes in your life. Think positively, live in the present, and appreciate where you are and who you are. Today is a gift, so accept and embrace it. 

    Author Mark Bowen wrote a fantastic book on this very topic that I turn to when I need a reminder, as we all do now and again. My copy came with a bracelet, a simple way to monitor how often you complain that helps you track your progress toward becoming “complaint-free”. Put on the bracelet and every time you complain, switch it to the other wrist. The goal is to go 21 consecutive days without switching the bracelet. It is harder than you might think and I was a bit shocked at what a complainer I turned out to be. It was a really good exercise for me- I highly recommend it. I benefited enormously and I suspect those around me did, too!

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.

Don't Be Judgmental; Be Kind Just because You Can

    "Contagious Optimist" Colleen Georges taught me this: It's easy to judge others for their actions and take for granted those we love and meet in chance encounters. We sometimes get so caught up in our busy-ness that we forget others are busy, too. They have rough days just like us, and they benefit from our kindness just as we do theirs. Go out of your way to wave at strangers, say good morning, say thank you, give a compliment, and listen attentively to someone who needs your ear. Do it because you can, because it feels great, because it makes someone else feel good. Don't worry about a subsequent thank you; let a thank you be a beautiful perk rather than an expectation.

Be Ripsniptious!

     Author Art Plotnik helped revive this world in his book Better than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives. Simply put, "ripsniptious" (rip-snip-shuss) can be used to express something or someone that is wonderful and highly spirited. Today, you will be ripsniptious and notice all of the other ripsniptious things around you. Let this be your word of the day and let it embody you- and introduce others to ripsniptious of the word ripsniptious! It's fun to say, isn't it? It's even better to be it. It is also a wonderful compliment and I think you are pretty darn rupsniptious for visiting The Lower Haight Holler!