You Can Make the World Better

I've been thinking lately about what we put into the world. When you have the option to make someone's day better or make someone's day worse, even marginally, why would you choose worse? Every moment we have a new opportunity to make that choice.

I watch a college student unscrew the cap of the salt on the communal table, so the next unsuspecting stranger will dump it. Tiny prank? Maybe. But will it make someone's day better or worse? The same level of effort could have been spent scrawling a funny word on a napkin that made the next stranger smile at the absurdity.

I hear my son mockingly correct his little brother on the pronunciation of a word. Is this more helpful or hurtful? I know the answer as I see his tiny shoulders slump in defeat. I remind my oldest that the same effort could have been put towards helping in an encouraging way.

I see a content creator share a derogatory meme making fun of how someone looks. The person being made fun of will never see it, but your neighbors who share similar qualities will see themselves in it. Is this contributing positivity or negativity into the world? The same level of effort could have been spent sharing a meme that makes people laugh without making someone's looks the heel of the joke.

It makes me stop to ponder: what am I putting into the world? What might make someone's day just a little bit better? Is what I'm doing making the world a little bit better or a little bit worse? It's a choice we get to make every day.