Be a little nicer

Say no to plastic bags at grocery stores, pharmacies, anywhere, unless you absolutely need them. And let’s face it, most of the time, you don’t… for that one card you buy, or the notebook, or one onion. It’s easy to do your bit for the environment.

PS: Reusable grocery bags are awesome and take up no space in your car. Try that, too.

One day, you could be the guy trying to find someone with change for a $20 banknote at a bus station. And nobody will have enough change for 20. But you might have $2.25 (or whatever it takes) to help this guy get to work. It’s less than a coffee at Starbucks.

Really. Get off the phone when you’re ordering a coffee at whatever coffeeshop you go to, or when interacting with a cashier at a grocery store. The baristas, cashiers… are people (and that can’t come as a surprise) and deserve to be treated with respect. 

Random week of kindness

Tell your co-workers, colleagues, anyone who works with you that they did a great job every time they do. It’s nice and good for everyone! #BeNicer

good:

The GOOD 30-Day Challenge: Become a GOOD Citizen

Distilled to its most basic form, GOOD is about the various ways, big and small, people give back to their communities. Our GOOD Challenge for February is to snap you out of the selfish habits into which we all sometimes fall and make you a great citizen—for a month, at first, but hopefully for ever after come March. 

Take on the February challenge with us at GOOD→ 

Thank your friends for being your friends. They shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Hold hands while you hash it out. My folks have been married for 47 years. One of my father’s rules for a happy marriage is that if a nasty argument erupts, hold hands as you fight. You’ll feel goofy doing this, but here’s the thing: It works. Recently my husband, Tom, forgot to pay a few bills that were buried under a pile of clutter. I was incandescent with rage. So we interlaced our  fingers while we talked it out, and I felt my blood pressure plummet and my endorphins flow in spite of myself. It’s impossible to scream at someone who is giving your hand a gentle squeeze. It just is.

Share the things you don’t need to own

When you run across a newspaper or magazine article you think someone you know would find interesting, take a moment to clip it out. Attach a Post-it note that reads “Thought you’d enjoy” and drop it in the mail. This takes less time than writing a letter, but the gesture still shows the other person you’re thinking about her.