It’s 2018 already! The year came so fast. Thinking back on 2017, what would you have done differently? Do you feel that you made the impact that you wanted to? The good thing is it’s a new year and we have 365 more chances.
Marguerite Annie Johnson Angelou was born on April 4, 1928, and passed away on May 28, 2014. She is better known as Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou was a very influential writer for her time, and she still is today. One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou is:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelout
Those words are so true. As a teacher, I would love to think that my words would have an important impact on each student. Sadly, the truth is that most of my words are forgotten as soon as I speak them. My pastor always says that he has to repeat something at least 5 times, so everyone hears him.
I just recently watched an interesting movie starring Ryan Reynolds. The movie was called “School of Life.” I know what you’re thinking, that movie came out in 2005 and you just recently watched it? In the movie, Ryan Reynolds plays a teacher named Mr. D. All the students love him. Not because he was the best teacher in the world, or because they listened to every word he spoke. No, it was because he took the time to make each student feel important.
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer understood the importance of impacting others. He was known as the “father of motivation.” How great would it be if each and every day we could make people feel better about themselves?
I know all too well how it feels when unkind words are spoken, even in fun or just repeating something that someone else said. Once those words are spoken, they can never be taken back. That is why it is so important to think about how your words will make someone feel before you say them.
With this being the new year and most people are in the mindset of setting goals, how about setting a goal of purposely being nice. Smile at people, open the door for someone, say a kind word. You never know how just one simple little act can make someone’s day.
Maybe you would like to join the 30 Day Kindness Challenge. That is a great place to start.
