Ponder your life for a moment. Especially now, while the holiday season is upon us. It’s this time of year we are asked to articulate what we are grateful for during Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas brings added reminders about the reason for the season, since gift giving has become too commercialized for most. It’s during this time of year, people’s spirits are elevated to renewed heights. A lightness of step and warmer salutations are exchanged. Even kindness expounds with replenished vigor at the closing of another year.
This year, however, you are asked to write your resume to pass ‘go’ into the year. Shouldn’t be hard, right? You work hard, you’re never late, you even bring your lunch once a week to save money. Wonderful, you and everybody else! Dickens, have we’ve become so accustomed to ‘eat, work, sleep’ that we’re border line robotic in our daily lives? Not a very exciting thought, is it?
While repetition might be the harbinger of a great career booster, it won’t win any Life Skill achievement awards. Therefore, if we were going to pen a resume based on our life, where do we start? Well…it’s about you, so let’s start there.
State clearly how many times you’ve: opened a door for a stranger; given up your place in the checkout line to someone with only a few items; let another car turn first, or enter the line in front of you? How many random acts of kindness do you perform in one week? (What? You thought it was going to say ‘year’.)
How often you do ask your elderly neighbor if they need anything when you run to the store? Or invite those who don’t have family to a seat at your table? Does anyone catch you smiling…just because!? What time of day do you say ‘thank you’ just to be alive? Tell us about the time you put money in someone else’s parking meter because you noticed it was about to expire and no one was running toward you with a quarter in their hand. If good deeds are your thing, how many would you estimate you preform daily, weekly, annually? Ever rescue an animal from certain death, or given a homeless pet a forever home?
You know, sincere compliments are woven through the fabric of kindness. How many compliments do you offer in one day? Please enlighten us with the time(s) you volunteered at a soup kitchen, or charity fundraiser. And how about all those donated clothing items you drop off several times a year. Impressive, indeed. Oh, and don’t forget: “Please,” “Thank You” and “You’re Welcome” are so ingrained in your vocabulary, speaking them is as natural as breathing. Wowzer, awesome resume so far!
Now, let’s dig a little deeper, shall we? How often do you say, “I’m sorry” and mean it? How freely do you forgive? And really mean it! Can you, with certainty, decipher fact from fiction grounding your responses in facts? When someone negatively tips the scales of emotions…what is your reaction? How often do you diffuse an argument with kindness? How many times a day do you ‘bite your tongue’ on pessimistic thoughts, and redirect your dialogue to deliver positive praise instead?
Let’s be honest…what’s your ‘grumpy meter’ set to? How many times a day have you opted to tell the truth, instead of the alternative? How often do you dodge responsibility? What most recent event set off your anger and how do you plan to choose a less impactful emotional response next time? How often do you ‘take one for the team’ and admit you were wrong? How many times in your life have you felt the need to be a better person…then returned to ‘eat, work, sleep’ and…forgot?
Friends, we have the best scenario to work out kinks and live our best life. Each moment brings another opportunity to: do the right thing, say the right thing, or think the right thing. Wowzer! Just think, every new minute is a blank slate in which to write our Life Resume. For instance, under Life Skills does your list include: Considerate, Helpful, Thoughtful, Compassionate, Empathic, Amicable, Diplomatic, Respectful, Enthusiastic, Generous, Nurturing, Selfless, Sincere, Honest, Forgiving, Friendly, Cheerful, Supportive, Sympathetic…and the list goes on.
Make positive choices…create an amazing Life Resume!
Can you imagine…what’s on your resume?
Smile, just because!
