What are you: a builder-upper or a tearer-downer?
Every day, and every encounter during each day, we have the opportunity to do good, or to do bad; to improve upon someone’s day, or ruin it for them.
Right now, or at the end of this day, think about the opportunities presented to you. Now think of what you allowed to come forth.
Did you let a car get into your lane when a person was trying to get out of a business parking lot on a very busy street while you were in a hurry, and perhaps running late, and therefore had every reason not to stop for five seconds to allow that car into the flow of traffic?
Depending upon how you acted in that situation, the driver of that car felt this way:
or the driver of that vehicle felt this way:
He may even have felt this way:
which would eventually make him feel this way:
How did you fare today?
- Just for today, let go of anger.
- Just for today, let go of worry.
- Just for today, give thanks for your many blessings.
- Just for today, do your work honestly.
- Just for today, be kind to your neighbor and every living thing.
And do it again tomorrow and the next day.
Living: the ultimate team sport 
January 4, 2017 at 1:39 pm
[…] As I said in a previous post, I don’t want to be responsible for ruining someone’s day, or for making them angry or upset. That’s a responsibility I’m not going to place upon my shoulders. Instead, I’m gonna build up, not tear down. […]
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October 7, 2016 at 10:35 am
[…] Source: What are you: a builder-upper or a tearer-downer? […]
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June 27, 2016 at 3:17 pm
[…] See also: Small acts of kindness, huge benefit; It is never wrong to do good; What are you: a builder-upper or a tearer-downer? […]
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June 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm
[…] you rather be an instrument for good, rather than evil? If you aspire to make an impact on the world, what kind of imprint are you leaving? Are you […]
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June 16, 2015 at 7:32 am
[…] encounter them everywhere you go. You may not know they’re caregivers, but believe me, if you build them up, rather than tear them down, you will have done a very good thing. You might be just the person she/he needs to get through a […]
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June 10, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Great advice, Irene. I think I did pretty well today. While at the grocery story, I got a shopping cart from the stall and was ready to wipe the handle down with a germ wipe. An elderly lady entered and I asked her if she’d like the cart. You would have thought I offered her a million dollars. She lit up like a Christmas tree. When I offered to wipe it down for her, she said she was going to have to leave the store and come back in because she thought she was in the wrong place. Her reaction made my day. 🙂 She was so cute.
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June 10, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Yippee!! That’s exactly my point: even the smallest effort on our part can do wonders for someone’s day. I love your story.
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June 10, 2015 at 4:15 pm
I agree, Irene. She acted as though I made her day, but really, she made mine. 🙂
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