Good afternoon everyone!
I listen to a lot of music, and often times will hear something that I haven’t listened to in a long time and be reminded of why I thought it was so great in the first place. One of those songs right now is called “November Blues” by a band called the Avett Brothers. A line in that song that I say to my wife often during the month of December is, “bit by the cold of December I’m warmed inside your smile”. She tells me I am corny, and generally rolls her eyes at me, but it makes her smile… Somewhat like that, in the midst of the cold, seeing smiles on your faces warms our days.
Another song says, “sometimes all it takes is just a smile to change somebodies weather, to take the clouds out of their skies”. It is so true, isn’t it? You never know who is having a bad day, or who woke up to a crappy situation at home for what seems like the millionth morning in a row. It’s funny how something as seemingly small as a smile can make such a big difference in someone’s life. A few more smiles, a little better day, a little less hurt, a little more friendship, makes the area around you a little better. So what does that mean? Well, it simply means that we should smile more because you never know who needs it. It’s like the bumper sticker says, “wag more, bark less”.
Relationships with those around you matter, and how you treat them matters. If you have a life full of drama it is likely the result of broken relationships, and only you have the ability to change that. I often speak to students who have constant conflict in their lives and they think that everyone else is the problem. It is important to realize that if you have conflict with others on a regular basis it is likely not all of them that are the problem, but rather something in how you respond to them. While those who need to hear this message most will likely brush it off, the reality is that relationships are a two way street. You have the power to determine how you respond to those who mistreat you, and how long to hold on to the wrongs they have committed against you. You have the power to determine whether or not to get upset about every little thing that happens, or to learn how to let it go. And you have the power to gossip about those who have wronged you, which keeps the drama going, or to take the high road and let it go.
You cannot control the misery of others, or their desire to cause conflict in your life, but you certainly can control your response to it. Let them drown their days with bitterness and conflict, but choose not to let those things conquer you. If you engage in the same things that you claim to be so upset about, then you are inviting their drama and problems into your life. Life is so much better when you make the decision to treat people better than they deserve. As you do that you find that people respond to you better, and your day to day is more enjoyable. As you do that you find that less people have a reason to treat you poorly, and because of that you experience less drama in your life. You also find that you become a person who others look to as a role model, and with that comes a great deal of pride.
As you move through the coming weeks I challenge you to try… just try to be a person who treats everyone well. Don’t talk about others, don’t talk back to others, don’t engage in the back and forth that makes things that are not that big of a deal into something bigger than they are, and to not allow yourself to be held hostage by hostility. You can only control yourself, and I promise you that the better you treat others, even those who may have wronged you, the more enjoyable your life will be. You will find that people who used to stay away from you because they didn’t want your drama in their lives will start to enjoy your company, and those who used to have problems with you will find someone else to target with their own inability to understand and embrace the words I have written in this section.
Be respectful, treat others well, put a ’10’ on the heads of everyone you come in contact with at all times, and you will find that every day is a little more enjoyable. Be a person who others are drawn to, not a person that others avoid. Your actions will determine how others respond to you, and only you can control how you treat others. Decide to live life in peace with those around you, and watch the incredible difference that it has on how much you are able to enjoy each day.
Have a great rest of the week ladies and gentlemen!
Mr. Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School