Leave It Better

How many rooms are you in during a typical day? And how many of those rooms have other people in them?

A couple? Four or five? Ten? Twenty?

Being in a room with other people is one of those things that happens as normal every day, and you probably take it a little bit for granted. In you go, you do your thing, then leave again. A bit like taking a shower, only with more clothes and without all the hands.

But today I don’t want you to take being in a room with others for granted. I want you to try it a different way.

1. Make a mental note whenever you enter a room that has people in it. Whether it’s your kitchen, a meeting room or a store, just acknowledge that other people are there.
2. Do something to contribute, make a difference to someone or leave it better than when you entered. You could offer a sincere compliment or a smile. You might lend someone an ear or a helping hand. Or you could give someone in line some loose change or give someone your time, compassion or empathy.
3. Do not leave the room until step 2 is complete.

It’s so easy to get absorbed in your day and forget that you’re surrounded by other human beings. So this is about 2 things:

• Getting you a little out of your comfort zone, with a good reason to take action rather than spinning your wheels
• Showing you that you have the extraordinary capacity to leave a positive legacy behind you.

If you can make a difference in the next room you walk into (which is a pretty wonderful way of demonstrating what matters to you by the way), just imagine what kind of difference you can make throughout the next week, the next month or the next year…?

In the comments, jot down what you did and what happened.