Chop Wood, Carry Water

I’m not usually one for resolutions. I don’t think I’ve even attempted to make one since this one. 

But last night I was at my sister’s house playing cards and my brother-in-law was rehashing the conversation he has with my three year old nephew each morning before he is dropped off at daycare. It goes something like this. 

Don’t pull down your pants. 

Don’t pull down other people’s pants. 

Be nice to your friends. 

Don’t say bad words. 

I was struck by the awesomeness of this daily pep talk. As you might assume, it was created because of some past incidents. Each day he reports on which ones he succeeded with (I didn’t pull down my pants!) and leaves out which ones might have been a bigger challenge than he could face for that particular day. I think the world would be a better place if everyone could just follow these simple rules. 

Don’t pull down your pants. 

I think literally speaking you should be able to pull down your pants whenever you want (If you are over the age of 18). Metaphorically speaking, however, we need to be more aware of our actions and the ripple effect it sends out into the world. If you lead each day with positive energy and love for those around you no matter the day, the year, or the resolution you have made, I think it will be felt and noticed. Or, if you pull down your pants, I think you will also be noticed. But maybe not the kind of impact we’re going for with a resolution.

Don’t pull down other people’s pants. 

There is enough hard stuff in the world. There is enough fighting and hatred and wars to last a lifetime. My simple motto that I’ve tried to live by for a few years, and will try even harder to live by in 2014, is When you see someone who needs help, help them. Whether it is help picking something up, help working through a problem, or help with something that feels like it is bigger than you, give what you can. Don’t pull down other people’s pants. Don’t worry about why they need help. Everyone has a story and there is never enough time to hear it all. Buy them a belt. Help them stay clothed. 

Be nice to your friends. 

Being nice to your friends is the easy part. It is the expansion of this rule that will be harder in 2014. Kindness we show to our friends is just a reflection of our feelings for them. Kindness we show to strangers is a reflection of ourselves. Be nice to your friends but also be nice to the bus driver, the referee, the angry customer, and the homeless person outside the store. Kindness is not the easiest thing to give, whether it is free or not. It can be extremely difficult and exhausting to give, especially when it is not returned. But it will feel better than any resolution you can make. 

Don’t say bad words. 

The cuss words don’t actually bother me. They are just words with personality. The bad words, in my mind, are ones that are spoken out of hatred, ignorance, or plain misunderstanding. Words that I want to banish from my vocabulary in 2014 include:

IDIOT

JERK

STUPID

HATE

SHUT UP

Just to name a few. SInce I’m banishing words, I certainly need to keep the cuss words, so none of them made the list. When you are three years old the list is much longer, but as you age you earn a few of the words back. 

So there you have it. My short and simple motto for 2014, inspired by my short and not so simple nephew. 

May 2014 find us all filled with kindness, new friends, and fully clothed.