It’s easier said than done to improve yourself and be better. But you need to learn how to be a good person in order to improve the quality of your life.
Learning how to be a good person is the most essential life skill you can learn. Most people don’t even bother and would rather harden their hearts to the rest of the world instead of learning to be vulnerable. After all, we’re all wired to be selfish. But truth be told, it’s an admirable and precious trait to be considered a good person. But how do we learn to be a good person?
Well, usually it starts with our parents. We learn just about everything from them – for better or for worse. They might have modeled highly respectable behavior that taught you how to be a good person. Or maybe they didn’t, and now you’re wondering how to improve yourself.
Another factor is your environment, so if you grew up in a particularly unhealthy environment, it’s possible nobody taught you how to be a good person. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late for you!
[Read: Do you understand and embody the 15 good qualities of a person?]
Why is it important to learn how to be a good person?
When you know how to be a good person, you have faith that you’re doing everything right. It means that you’re doing everything you can to improve yourself. As simple as it might seem to be a good person, it’s a big deal to the rest of the world.
Knowing how to be a good person affects all your relationships and friendships, including those you’re just about to have. Also, it makes you reflect kindness and goodness to those that need it the most. You’re the light in times of darkness, and everyone needs that symbol of hope every now and then.
Most importantly, you’re the living proof that not all people are purely thinking of themselves and devoid of empathy or goodness. Being a good person means you know the proper way to treat those around you, and that’s everything.
[Read: How to be kind to yourself & others & love life instead of hating it]
How to be a good person
Okay, so maybe your parents weren’t perfect and didn’t teach you how to be a good person. Well, we’re sure they did the best they could. So now it’s up to you! You can learn, you just have to put some effort into it.
But learning to be good is worth it. Here are a few steps you can take to learn how to be a good person.
1. If you say it, do it
Flaky people are the absolute worst. They say one thing and completely mean another, which makes them unreliable. So if you want to know how to be a good person, stick to your word! If you say you’re going to do something but don’t, you let other people down.
And that’s not being a good person. It’s not that hard to have integrity or stand by what you promised you’d do!
So, if you say it… do it. Don’t keep disappointing people by letting them down on your word. [Read: Here’s why you should always ditch people who flake on you]
2. Have empathy for others
We hate to break it to you, but the world doesn’t revolve around you. Nor does it revolve around me. Or anyone else for that matter. My point is that your needs and desires aren’t more important than other people’s. Even if you don’t agree with them, it doesn’t matter. That is their experience.
You should live by the motto, “perception is reality.” Practicing empathy will encourage you to become a better person, and it will always help your relationships and friendships thrive further. Don’t get caught up in being self-absorbed. [Read: 13 inspiring ways to bring out the best in yourself]
3. Don’t waste other people’s time
Time is a fragile yet concrete thing. It’s why we don’t like wasting our time with insignificant time and people – because we can never get that time wasted back. Maybe you’re not a time-conscious person, and so you always run late.
And maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal because time isn’t important to you. But it’s a crucial thing for everyone else. So being a good person requires knowing the value of time.
4. Take personal responsibility
Don’t blame other people. Even if they really are to blame, don’t go on and on about it. Look at any situation and try to see how your behavior played a part in how it turned out. Avoiding accountability doesn’t make you a good person, but it makes others not want to be around you.
So if you’re going to learn how to be a good person, learn to admit your mistakes and wrongdoings. It is not a weakness to admit when you did something wrong. In fact, it’s the mature thing to do. [Read: Emotional maturity – 20 clues to know if someone has it]
5. Don’t take anything personally
We live in a culture where it’s so easy to take everything very personally, even when it’s not directed at us. So many people get offended at every little teensy tiny thing anyone says or does.
But listen, what other people say or do is usually not about YOU. It is about them. It is a reflection of how they feel about themselves.
So, don’t lash out at people when you feel like they upset you. Remember, no one can offend you unless you allow them to. So instead of taking everything personally, understand that what they’re saying might not be intended directly towards you. [Read: How to stop being so sensitive about everything all the time]
6. Be self-aware
If you want to understand the world and improve your relationships, it takes a lot of self-awareness. In order to learn how to be a good person, you have to be aware of how and why you do *or say* the things you do. Self-awareness really is the key to learning how to be a good person.
When you are self-aware, you help others understand you. And when they understand you, they are more likely to want to have a peaceful relationship with you. [Read: How to improve yourself – 16 powerful secrets to self-improvement]
7. Understand the consequences of your actions
Everything you do has a specific consequence. Whether good or bad, that’s entirely up to the choices you make. There’s no escaping the results of your actions. Your actions affect other people just as much as it affects you. Just as a pebble in the water sends out ripples, so does your behavior.
Even if you’re just grumpy, trust us, it affects the people around you. So, make sure all of your actions are as positive as you can make them, because you want to make sure that you are a happy influence on other people.
8. Think before you speak
We’ve all said pretty hurtful things without thinking before speaking, after which we end up regretting immensely. You’ve hurt someone in the process and also appeared like a bad person. You can’t take it back after it’s out there.
Even if you apologize until you’re blue in the face, you can’t undo any damage that might have been done after you say something you might regret. So, before you say anything *especially if you are angry* stop to think about it.
Is it kind or necessary? Is it helpful? If it’s not, then don’t say it. Unless the words you say are helpful or kind, it’s better not to speak. [Read: How to be classy – 20 traits that command awe and respect]
9. Remember the Golden Rule
We all learned this in kindergarten, right? But how many of us actually live by the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would have done to you. It’s a pretty simple concept, isn’t it? So why is it so difficult for people to actually live by this wisdom? [Read: How to become a better person – 9 golden rules to evolve everyday]
If you want to learn how to be a good person, just treat others the way you would like to be treated – simple as that. Just as you should think about what you say before you say it, think about how your actions would affect another person. If it’s going to hurt you if the roles were reserved, don’t do it.
10. Love yourself
We know how cliche this is as you hear this advice all the time. But you really need to love yourself to be a good person. People who love themselves naturally love others too. So if you love others, how can you treat them badly?
But if you don’t, you’ll constantly end up projecting all your negativity and anger to others who never deserved it in the first place. If you want to know how to be a good person, you must accept all parts of yourself.
And when you do, it will be instinctual to do good in this world… and be a good person. [Read: The rules of life – 22 secrets to never be unhappy again]
11. Compliment others
Compliments go a long way when it comes to being a good person. It helps you spread positivity and encouragement to others without them realizing it. As long as the compliments you give are honest and genuine, it’s a simple way to start being a good person.
When you compliment others, you make them feel good, and they’ll always associate this feel-good emotion with you. So give compliments and make sure they’re genuine!
Also, don’t just focus on physical compliments, but also their personality traits and characteristics. [Read: The best compliments for girls – 25 genuine lines she’ll love to hear]
12. Respect people
Respect is such an admirable and significant trait that is rarely seen in people today. When you respect people, you’re naturally a good person.
So whether it’s respecting their boundaries, treating them like an equal, respecting their opinions and thoughts, or just being a nice person to them, respect really does go a long way. If you want to know how to be a good person, respect is a pretty good place to start.
[Read: How to show respect in a relationship and love each other better]13. Be selfless and considerate
This is an essential piece of advice when it comes to being a good person. Selfishness will never get you anywhere as you’re only thinking of yourself. We’re all wired to be selfish, so it’s going to take a lot of relearning to be selfless and considerate to the needs of others.
Instead of constantly thinking about your own needs, think of how you can help others. This kind of thinking will come a long way in being a better person. [Read: Selfishness in relationships – 15 tips to do the right thing]
14. Be grateful
Gratitude is something good people naturally have, especially when they express appreciation for others. So in being a good person, be grateful for the people and things around you instead of constantly complaining.
Not only does this make you a good person, but it makes you an admirable person to be around. Anyone with this kind of appreciation makes you a refreshing person to be around, and people will always want to be with you. [Read: How to be grateful – 20 authentic ways to appreciate and express it]
15. Be kind to everyone
Kindness truly goes a long way when learning how to be a good person. It might seem like such an ordinary thing, but kindness can change the world. When you’re kind, you’re being the light to someone’s darkness.
Also, you never truly know what someone’s dealing with, so kindness goes a long way even if it’s the smallest gesture. Don’t just be kind to your loved ones, but be kind to everyone *even to those you find annoying or don’t like*.
[Read: 250+ really warm and nice things to say to people and truly make their day]
So, how to be a good person?
It takes a little effort and empathy to be a good person, but it’s an essential life skill to live your best life. When you’re a good person, you get to encourage those around you to live a life full of kindness, empathy, generosity, and respect.
This road of self-improvement is one that can make others feel great around you, and in turn, you’ll feel a lot better about yourself and love yourself a lot more as well. Start small, but you’ll notice the results of your actions almost immediately. Now all you need to do is take this first small step to a kinder, and happier life.
If you want to learn how to be a good person, these are great starting points. You need to work for it and most importantly, you should want to be a good person from within, and not just to fake it to the world!
The post How to Be a Good Person: 15 Small Changes to Transform Your World is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.
0 comments:
Post a Comment