Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

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www.lulu.com/spotlight/allenjames1961
www.jamesharryman2002.wix.com/allenjamesbooks

His latest, a children's book, Crystal the Condor Makes Friends is now available as well.
Today's thought from The Journey: A Calendar Book reads:

"Be helpful and considerate to others" (James, 2012).

Recall my speaking of those character traits we teach our children/youth?  This is one such traits WE should commit to memory, especially in today's rushed world where we general pass others by ignoring their needs, focused on only getting what WE need accomplished, accomplished; WE don't have time to be helpful and considerate to others. Shameful.

Lynne Nofziger says "being thoughtful, considerate, kind, caring and respectful of others is one of the greatest self-serving actions that you can take". How we treat and think of others is a direct reflection of how we think of ourselves.  What an eye opening reality! Thus, being kind to other people can make a huge difference in our kindness. There are actually very few people in the world beyond ours who display rude behaviors; they just don’t realize they just aren’t making a conscientious effort to think of others feelings. We can motivate ourselves into becoming more helpful and considerate  of others by:

•  Admitting to ourselves we are not perfect. In fact, realize, at times, we can be extremely inconsiderate and selfish. Many times we don’t even realize it at the moment; but when we realize this has happened, consider how we could have acted differently in the situation. This is a very important part of becoming respectful, kind and caring to others.
• As Attitcus Finch told Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, place ourselves in others' shoes. This is a key concept in becoming respectful. Consider how others feel. What their needs and wants may be in a given situation. Look at things from their perspective. Make a conscious effort to think of what others are really going through. What would I want to have happen if I were in their place. This task isn’t always easy, but it will get easier with practice. Sometimes we may not be correct in our assumptions about others' wants or needs, but it is an important step for us to make the effort to try.

• When dealing with other people, always attempt to act with compassion and kindness. If someone else is distressed, even just a little bit, try to ease their suffering in some way. Treating others with kindness, respect, and love is one of the best ways to show consideration. We can do this in little ways such as a smile, a kind word, a thank you, or a hug. We can also go out of our way to be courteous to others by holding open a door or letting another person in front of us in traffic. Random acts of kindness go a long way and make a big, big difference.


• Practice always improves our efforts and our attitude toward others. Making it a priority with every interaction with another person is a chance to practice being considerate. Every time I speak with someone, send out an email, or even pass someone on the street is an opportunity to practice consideration and respectfulness. Practice, practice, and then, practice some more. This is how we get really good at anything.

There are amazing personal rewards which accompany being more considerate to others: First and foremost, it just feels good to be kind to others, do nice things for them, and make other people happier. Second, it makes our life better in so many ways. People start to treat US with more respect and kindness. They may tend to even like us better, and they may be more likely to want to work with and be with us. And, very importantly, our efforts can make society better a better place to be. Yes, we can make a difference in our worlds. Think of what we could have if we all were to treat each other with caring, thoughtfulness, kindness, and respect. We could live better together and work better together. Our small, considerate actions can have an immediate and dramatic effect on our lives and the lives of others, helping to ease our journey to personal success.

Keep looking up....and smile while we're ..... looking up.  : )   AJ

(Lynne Nofziger)