“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead.

I was watching a news bulletin recently which amongst other stories included the conflict in Ukraine and the reaction to the budget speech in the UK. It appears that politicians of all political persuasions have taken to launching personal attacks on each other which isn’t particularly constructive.

Later in the week, I heard a news report on the radio about a BBC investigation into social media abuse in football. It stated more than 2,000 extremely abusive posts, including death and rape threats, were sent about managers and players in the Premier League and Women’s Super League in a single weekend!

The analysis, conducted with data science company Signify, focused on posts made during 10 Premier League and six WSL matches on the weekend of 8 and 9 November and also found messages including racist slurs, homophobia and threats of violence. Managers were targeted more than players, with 82% of abusive posts made on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Premier League bosses Ruben Amorim, Arne Slot and Eddie Howe were the most common targets of abuse in the men’s top flight, while Chelsea and their manager Sonia Bompastor faced 50% of all abuse in the WSL.

It caused me to reflect on how unkind the world is becoming and how we all need to make an effort to make it kinder. I genuinely believe that we can all play a part in making the world a better place. Although some things like war, inflation and political turmoil are outside our control, there are things that we can control and influence. These are the areas where we can place our attention.

Every day we have a choice about where we put our focus and energy. It is within our gift to choose how and where we can make a positive difference in the world. We can all take small actions and collectively create a positive ripple to counter the negativity, fear and nastiness that is prevalent in the world.

Detailed below are some thoughts about where we can all have influence and help the world to be a better place. We can: –

  • Choose to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have in life rather than focus on what we lack.
  • Do things to make our part of the world and our environments more pleasant.
  • Be compassionate to our fellow human beings. Keep in mind that greater compassion creates better relationships and inspires others to follow this approach.
  • Carefully consider the impact on others of our actions and decisions before we speak or act. Ensure that our language and words are always temperate.
  • Be less judgemental and have greater empathy for people suffering challenges and hardship.
  • Be present and give people our full attention. This includes listening more than we talk. This will help people we interact with feel heard, valued, and important. This can include spending less time on technology in the virtual world and more time in the real world.
  • Be kind and nice to people. Look at what is positive about others. We can ensure we are encouraging and supportive of other’s endeavours and happy for their success and achievements.
  • Avoid posting negative and nasty comments on social media and encourage others to do the same.
  • Give credit where credit is due. Recognise people’s value and contributions and express gratitude for the positive impact they have on our life.

 
A final suggestion. We can regularly perform small random acts of kindness. This can be simple things like letting someone go in front of us in a queue, holding a door open, offering a compliment, giving an unexpected gift or even making someone a cup of tea or coffee!

This week, why not pause for a few moments to reflect. Consider what actions you can take to help make your part of the world a better place. Are there are other people you can encourage to do the same?

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk