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Be the Good


Why is everyone so angry lately? In public. Online. On the roads. It’s so exhausting. The very air can be so heavy sometimes. And it can really beat you down if you let too much of it in. We can all do better. I can definitely be impatient. Sometimes, I get triggered, sure. When these situations arise, though, we have a choice; hastily react or pause (breathe, if necessary) and assess the actual scenario.

I’ll let you in on a little secret.

I have terrible anxiety. And, unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse as I get older. Ironically, I always thought the opposite would happen. You grow up and you’re supposed to let minor bullshit go, right? The answer is a bit more complicated than “yes or no.” I can let minor things go, yes. But usually it’s only after I’ve obsessed for a while. And now, for added fun, I find I obsess over very different things than I used to. Gone are the days or worrying what I’m going to wear out or when my paper is due. (Well, not completely gone…) They have been replaced with adult-y things; kid, money, job, husband, the weather…

So, what do I do?

I know everyone tends to use the Christmas season as a time to be a better person – even if it’s only for a little while. And that’s great! But, for me, it’s a little bigger than that. I’ve made a conscious decision to put out what I want to get back.

I’ve been taking every opportunity I can to put good out into the world. If Karma is a bitch, then she can also be an angel, right? If what goes around comes around, then I got a lot of good coming my way. And the truth is, I need some good. (We all do!) Not to say I’m only doing this for what I’ll get in return. I just figure, it couldn’t hurt. And, it just feels really damn good.

I challenged myself to start small; a smile, a compliment. Smiles are totally contagious, you know. And then I moved on to buying someone’s coffee and donating a few Christmas presents. Maybe it doesn’t seem like much to you but it’s a contribution to the world I want to be a part of – that I want my family to be a part of. And, not once, have I regretted it.

Maybe this blog will inspire you to do the same. Give it a try. I can’t guarantee a quick return on good Karma. But I bet you’ll also find it’s worth your time. And if your smile inspires someone else to then pay theirs forward… oh, what a wonderful world.

Merry Christmas!

-Vanessa Sully

See? Dalton gets it.



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