As for me...I Choose Civility

Over the past year...I have had some tough times. When you come out the other end and look back at the path you just walked it is a whole new perspective. It has been such a great experience for me to be TOTALLY on my own. I mean I moved to a state where I didn't know a soul to work in one of the most brutal industries on the planet. It opened my eyes to a lot of things. In the past year I had two experiences of people I knew being really really mean to me. The first was one of my cousins. I made a cheeky comment about a facebook photo of hers and she took offense to it. For the next week she went on a rampage of really personal attacks hitting every soft spot and unleashing some serious pent up hate. It was a big turning point for me. First of all, I never should have made the cheeky comment, it was my fault that the whole thing was started in the first place. And secondly it gave me an opportunity to apologize and mean it and then not retaliate. It was hard. Believe me. My mind was ferociously wording daggar sentances and hording them away that I might strike at any moment. Everyone I talked to told me to give her a piece of her own medicine. But I never did. I just let it blow over and I am so happy that I did. Same thing happened when a roomate had done some dishonest dealings with my rent money. I felt seriously wronged and when I confronted him he could only manage a personal attack. This time I just didn't have the strength to fight the fight. But I am really glad that I didn't because when I look back, I know that I was the stand up person in both situations. Pat on the back Ali.

HOWEVER, I haven't always been this way. I can be a huge gossip and have definitely been rude and disrespectful in my life. Not cool. So what changed? I think this year has allowed a lot of time for self-reflection. And I also have been so appreciative of every small gesture that has come my way. Sometimes it is a card in the mail or a 10 minute phone call or even a comment on my blog. It makes me so happy!. So I decided to give out more (I found out that I have an UNLIMITED supply of nice gestures! CRAZY) And when you give it...there is this mysterious power that sends it back your way. Good people attract good people. With my LIVE SIMPLY and SIMPLY LIVE! year I am making an effort to choose civility over rudeness. When I buy my weekly lotto ticket and hot dog from 7-11 I make sure to add a please and thank you to whoever is behind the counter and also to hand them my money and not just throw it on the counter. Its the small things that count. I am working hard at not interupting people (I am really bad at that and I didn't even notice untill Oprah told me on her ettiquette show) and to be courteous with my cell phone (people it is rude to talk on the phone when your with someone else...) I am also reading this book.




This is getting long winded but I just wanted to reflect on where I came from, why Im here and where Im going all in an effort to be an all around better person today than I was yesterday. Heres a quote that Oprah showed me :

"We never touch someone so lightly that we don't leave a trace" - Peter Dale Scott

Not long ago someone that I look up to a lot told me that I should think of the word that I would want other people to use to describe me. Like how do I want other people to see me in one word? I chose "Delightful." Whenever I have a choice to make, I think to myself...what would be the "delightful" choice? It helps me...

Cheers to Choosing Civility. (I'm holding my diet Pepsi can up...anyone wanna clink me?) (Can I get a clink clink??)