Thank You for Being Good

Transcript

Welcome beautiful thinkers.

Let’s talk about thank you for being good.

I was just sitting in a cafe about 10 blocks where I live. I recommend if you’re ever in Guadalajara to try the dirty chai or dirty chocolate.

As it happens I asked for the bill and it came out and it had my chilaquiles, coffee but not the cookie I ordered. So I made a note to correct that.

I thought about that of course in that situation a lot of the time we might think we can get away with not paying for the cookie. I’m sure you’ve all faced that in your life and I made the decision to be extra honest.

Not just honest but extra honest to say please charge me the full amount even though it was very obvious I could have gotten away with it.

I’m like “hmm, that’s nice, that’s nice of me to do that.”

Not in a boastful way like I am superior to other people for doing this tiny gesture but thinking to myself that’s good, that’s nice.

Thanks to myself for upholding honesty in this small way.

Being anarchist and libertarian I used to think a lot about what it takes to uphold law and order in a society.

Of course we have certain systems for that like the police or the courts. Intentional communities have dispute resolutions, facilities or process. It also comes down to the individual saying I choose not to steal even though I have the opportunity.

I choose not to vandalize even though I can easily get away with it.

I’m sure many of you choose that too.

In our personal relationships sometimes it might happen that someone says something that results in us being angry.

A lot of people can relate to that and what most people do is they don’t get violent or hit their partner or a guy at the bar. They don’t do that. They might punch a wall, ok, but and then some people might still feel angry and say hurtful things or take a step back and say something passive aggressive.

Every step getting a little better, learning a little self control.

Of course it’s not nice to say something passive aggressive but its much nicer than hitting someone.

Some people manipulate their partner emotionally, not a very nice thing to do and then some people actually don’t react in that situation.

They might not even get angry.

Or they might feel angry and just have the presence of mind to verbalize it.

Please give me a moment, I am feeling angry right now.

This affect labeling in Non-violent communication as described in the book and then eventually on this more enlightened level they might not react at all.

They might deal with it with grace. They might even be amused by this person who is agitating them and not in a way like I am superior like you can’t make me angry.

But in am empathetic way I recognize this tendency. I recognize this could also have the potential for that kind of manipulation saying that hurtful thing or that ignorant thing. It’s perfectly human and I acknowledge that it’s part of my nature.

How wonderful can we be and how can we praise ourselves when we do take that extra little step in whichever way to be a bit more present, more good, a better person.

Thank you. Every time you take that effort, again not in a way that is prideful for you, but thank you for not stealing, not vandalizing, not being violent. You are actually doing the world as an individual to maintain peaceful society. Every little decision you make helping this world to be more stable and more peaceful, giving the chance for something wonderful to happen.

Thank you for being good.