"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"

My mother used to say that, along with many other motherly pearls of wisdom. I have been thinking about how much value there is in finding something nice to say. It can be easy at times and harder at others, and some people do challenge you to stretch your imagination. But, I think it's worth the effort. Imagine what life would be like if people could count on hearing positive, affirming messages. Think about how at Christmas we say, we wish life was like this all year long. What we are really saying is, we wish people were thoughtful, tolerant, generous, forgiving, gentle, kind, happy, light-hearted more often.

What is it that prevents us from being more Christmas like more often? Well there's the distractions of everyday life - bills, dishes, laundry, meetings, deadlines, generally too much to do in one day, no matter what that list includes. Can we be pleasant and upbeat amidst the frenzy? Sure, but it takes effort. That's why Christmas helps, it focuses our effort. It reminds us to make the effort. We could be more cheery, supportive, helpful and sparkly more often if we stopped and thought about it, decided to do it and just did it.

So much about positive thinking and behaving is driven by a level of consciousness and intention. If we are conscious of our mental attitude and focus, we can ensure that our attention is headed in a positive direction. It's when we let ourselves get weighed down by the details, that we can forget the purpose. If you want a cheery greeting in the morning, be a cheerful greeter in the morning, I promise you'll reap what you sow. If you want to get feedback on a job you worked hard on, give feedback on other's hard work.

If you see someone making an effort, even if they haven't gotten where they (or you) think they need to be, praise the effort, don't remind them that they haven't arrived. Appreciate people. Acknowledge those who help you, even if it's their job. Don't take for granted that people know how you feel, tell them. We could all use a little life applause. Give Love, however you can. Say something nice. Just do it!