This guest post is by mspennylane at Marmalade Skies.

In life we often ask ourselves ‘do I have to’?

We try to do only what is necessary, or put things off until we feel more ‘in the mood’. Often this means putting things off indefinitely. There are certain things that we have to do which we have no choice about: we need to earn enough money to live; eat certain foods; go to bed at a certain time in the evening and get up in time for work. If we stopped doing all of these things, the chances are our lives would unravel pretty quickly. But what about those things that we don’t have to do? I’m not talking about basic needs here, I’m talking about going that extra mile to be kind and helpful by doing something for somebody else.

Everyday we turn down others who request our help because we have our own lives to deal with. We might do just enough to satisfy them but we don’t go that extra mile, too often asking ‘what’s in it for me’? Try changing that attitude slightly: go out of your way to help your mother/father/grandmother with those heavy bags; make a point of saying ‘thank you’ and smiling at that waiter; hold the door open for the next person coming through the office door; take time to make your customers feel cared for.

There are so many possibilities, why not start by trying one each day? You might think it a waste of time going out of your way for somebody else when you have so much to do for yourself already. However, you might just find that the rewards are much bigger when you really feel like you touched somebody’s life, and this kind of positive thinking may just touch your life, too.  

About The Author: mspennylane is fresh out of university, reflecting a lot on her journey through life and towards becoming a positive person. She maintains a personal blog at Marmalade Skies with reflections on this journey.