All it takes

One kind word! You never know what other people are dealing with at any given time. I find this true for both kids and adults. Kids are less likely to share than adults unless they have someone they really trust. And for anyone a kind word can turn around a bad day making it into a good one! We as a society tend to remember the bad things-how someone made you feel or something someone said or a "look" from someone can ruin your day. And I am guilty of this-big time. If I feel I've let someone down or they are not happy with me I do let it bother me, a lot some times. But I'm working really, really hard on not letting that ruin my day or bother me as much. The only person in this world I have to make happy is ME. That's all, no one else. And I can't base my happiness on someone else, or if they are happy with me or not, especially if that someone treats me poorly or as a second thought. They are not worthy of me or my time. You need to be happy with YOU! Remember this!

Early morning practices typically has kids dragging in, not yet fully awake and barely functional. I'm not a morning person and I'm trying really, really hard to become one as my world can't start at 10 a.m. But one thing I've found is if you greet these sleepy, tired and over extended kids and make things light hearted you get them to work with you and they will work hard. Nine young men rolled into the gym at 6 a.m. this morning to practice for state dance team. It was their call to practice at 6 a.m. Actually they wanted to go at 5 or 5: 30 a.m. but I knew that would be counter productive about an hour into practice. So for one hour and 40-minutes we danced and fixed and critiqued and helped one another to become better as a team. And when I complimented an individual or the group as a team they seemed work harder and  got better each time we did the dance. They were pleased and energized with themselves when we left that gym at 7:40 a.m. I was thrilled and the guys were in a much better mood than there were at 5:55 a.m.!

I've always found you reap what you sow, to be so true. If you want people to treat you nicely then you have to treat them nicely. There are those few rare people in this world I won't waste a breathe on as they are just plain mean and nasty-I take their treatment for so long then I'm done. But for the most part people are kind-I like to believe this. And believe it or not people can change with time, I'm surprised here too! There used to be a parent that I deemed to be one mean and nasty piece of work. She was mean and snide to kids, especially athletes and especially kids in her daughter's class. Now that I have her son she is a different animal. She is more of a positive parent, team player, mellowed and has grown up-we all do with time. Have I forgiven her for the hell she put me and my daughter through-yes because it was only hurting me. Have I forgotten-NO! I will always wait for the mean, nasty person to come back but right now she is at least tolerable! She is what I will always refer to as a "mean girl".

So today as I do everyday I try to offer a positive word to those around me. Be it "good luck tonight" to the kids who have a game this evening. Or "thank you" to a student when I ask them to do something and they do it without an attitude. It's the little things that make people want to be nice in return and maybe just makes their day a little bit brighter.

Positive thought of the day: Have a great day! : )