A Lesson on Common Courtesy

Once you leave your house, you quickly see that common courtesy has become a thing of the past. In fact, you’ll find yourself commending and applauding people who take out the trash for seniors, men who open the doors for children
and women, drivers that pull to the side for the ambulance or fire trucks…the list goes on and on.

Our society constantly promotes how “respecting” others is an essential part of our beliefs, but common courtesy seems to be excluded from this notion.

Kindness is the solution to rebuilding common courtesy. It begins with influence NOT just the politician, elected officials or Entertainers, but it begins with YOU! Each of us have influence over those we interact with, those we serve and those we love. Simply be the light to those you interact with, performing random acts of kindness.

Kindness isn’t popular in our society because it doesn’t win awards, praise or recognition. It doesn’t allow you to display your “reading” skills or abilities to “pop off'” on someone. One of the most powerful of “Be Attitudes” . . . simply Be Kind!

How can we extend common courtesy!

• Live it!
• Speak it!
• Demand it!
• Reinforce it!

We have to live it by being a daily example. Why complain about what others aren’t doing to be courteous if you aren’t?

I model for my students speaking to others when I enter a room, opening the doors for others, picking up trash in the halls, taking my hat off when I’m in a building and other essential lessons learned from my grandfather and father.

One of the most effective ways of teaching is modeling. We have to model the behavior we desire others to display by living, speaking, demanding and reinforcing it.