How to Start Putting Others First in Your Daily Life

When we last left off in the previous post, I was talking about how to Find Gratitude by Putting Others First. Today is going to talk about HOW to Start Putting Others First in Your Daily Life.

1. Transform your commute. Use your daily commute to think about others. See how it feels when you stop rushing to get the last seat on the train. Be patient with other drivers they are only trying to get to their destination, the same as you are. As you  are thinking of these people, think about how your gratitude can be used to affect these thoughts!

2. Incorporate putting others first into your parenting. Your children learn by your example. Help them to get off to a healthy start by talking with them about your values. Let them know why it is important to express their gratitude. Explain why you take the time to chat with elderly neighbors or volunteer at your church.

3. Practice at work. Demonstrate your team spirit. Look for opportunities to help others with their workload. Praise others for their accomplishments and share the credit for group efforts.

4. Take a different approach to shopping. Holiday shopping stampedes have gotten notoriously out of control. Make shopping more fun by attaching less importance to getting any one popular item.

5. Select your leisure activities wisely. Devote your leisure time to activities that help you to enrich the lives of other people. You may want to do formal volunteer work for a cause you believe in. Even eating out can qualify if you keep the focus on helping others to enjoy themselves and leave a generous tip for the servers. I wrote about this before in a post titled, How You Can Show Your Gratitude.

6. Use media strategically. You can still enjoy TV and other common pleasures. Just make them productive by viewing the characters with compassion. Analyze how their actions demonstrate selflessness and how that results in improving their circumstances.

Thinking of others first will make your life happier. Spreading your gratitude as you share it makes others feel good  and also make you feel good! Spend time thinking about why it’s beneficial to consider the welfare of others and take advantage of the opportunities to practice this strategy in your daily life.

Be Well.
Paul.
The Gratitude Guru