Leave People Better Than You Found Them

I saw something recently that really hit home for me, as it is something that matches what I truly admire as well.

What do you admire most in a person?

The ability to leave people better than they found them

 To have conversations that heal instead of hurt

To make people feel safe instead of judged

To be the reason someone walks away smiling instead of questioning their worth

That is a rare kind of beautiful 

I strive to show up this way every day. While I may not be perfect at it, it continues to be a daily goal for me. Whether it is a work setting, a personal relationship or with strangers - it can and in many cases I have been able to witness - what a palpable difference is usually makes.

Even if the impact of your interaction isn't evident at the time, or ever known for that matter, holding that intention to show up in the world that way is what is important.

I invite you to consider this when you are interacting with other human beings. We don't need to do it perfectly. Over time, it may become more and more natural for us. (I think of it as if we are building a muscle.) To me, the most important thing is having the goal to show up this way, a genuine desire to leave people better than we found them.

If you feel inspired, you can also substitute the word "people" with animals and strive to treat animals (4 legged and winged) that way as well. I get to witness this all the time, watching the kindness and respect that exists between animals and across different species of animals. The ways they interact with each other, support and look out for each other has never stopped putting a smile on my face and in my heart. It encourages me to keep doing better. 

We may not love what we see happening in the world. It may be down right painful to observe. It may feel overwhelmingly negative at times. What is going on around us may leave us feeling helpless and defeated - wondering what we can do. Fortunately for us, the one thing we are able to do is be responsible for the way we treat one another. 

What if this was not a rarity but rather the way we all showed up for and interacted with each other? 

Leaving people better than we found them

Having conversations that heal instead of hurt

Making people feel safe instead of judged

Being the reason someone walks away smiling instead of questioning their worth

I ponder this quite often . . . What would happen if we were lifting each other up, if we were letting everyone we interact with know they have been seen, heard, valued and appreciated? What would this world be like if we all showed up this way for everyone we interacted with? If we left people better than we found them? 

Just for today, would you consider giving it a try? And if you like how it feels, and/or you get to see how someone else responds to being treated like this, would you consider doing it again? And again? As I said, holding this intention / desire is key, perfection is not a requirement. I can't help but think this might be a way for each of us to make a big collective positive impact on the world.