Lately I have immersed myself in Nerdfighter culture, which is spawned from an online community created by author John Green and his brother Hank Green. Their mission is to both entertain and put an end to Worldsuck. Their catchphrase, Don't Forget to be Awesome, promotes the idea that we should never forget how great and awesome we are as individuals, and how capable we are of ending 'Worldsuck' by way of our awesome attitudes. I took some time to think about this idea, and decided that not only did I agree, but that I wanted to be a part of it, too.
I decided to take the focus off of myself and make a greater effort towards making other people feel awesome instead. Doing this has been a fantastic method for dealing with any bad days, bad moods, or bad people that happen to pop up every now and then. My idea was to start small, beginning with complimenting strangers that I happen to pass ('I love your sweater!' 'Your hair is gorgeous!'), and then texting or calling people I care about to tell them all about how great I think they are. I even went so far as to have dinner long distance with an old friend over the phone, just to cheer them up a little. It made me feel like one million dollars.
Pretty soon I started reaching out to people I'd never met who do things that I find really admirable. I printed out the addresses to all of the fire stations in Columbus and slowly began the process of writing each one (34 in total!) a personalized letter thanking them all for their service, dedication, and bravery. Towards the very end I felt so great about what I was doing that I extended the letter writing to include the Emergency Centers in Columbus, and a few cancer facilities, too.
A few days later while still feeling fantastic about my mission, I decided to reach out to people who were going through personal hardships that might need some help. I tried to focus on a way to de-clutter my apartment and help someone else at the same time, doing something that was mutually beneficial. I went through my old clothes and took out anything that I didn't wear on a regular basis (I'm talking like at least once in a two week period), and separated them into three piles. One pile was to go to the local homeless shelter, one was to go to Dress for Success, and anything that wasn't in fantastic condition was put in a third pile to go to the Goodwill.
I made sure to also go through old boxes and storage bags and got rid of shoes I no longer wear, blankets I no longer use, and winter items (such as beanies and scarves) that I had too many of. It was a very cathartic process, and in the end I had enough space in my closet to do some intense reorganizing. Total win! After a few emails to my co-workers, and a Facebook post or two, I had a total of 7 huge bags worth of donations to deliver. I felt great, and the people who helped me out felt great, too. It was fantastic!
I heavily encourage anyone who isn't feeling their best to channel that into doing something great for another person. Not only does it put your life into perspective almost immediately, but it also makes you feel so very, very good about yourself and your life.
This is how I DFTBA. How do you?
