If...

If we only did what we could...

when we should...

things would all be better for everyone.

What if we all treated public things as if they were our own? What if we regarded other people's feelings as if they were our own? Wouldn't we be kinder to one another? Wouldn't our beaches and public parks stay cleaner? What if we all spoke up when a wrong was occurring, and stood up for ourselves when we felt demeaned or threatened?

What if we did our homework when we were supposed to and went to class on time? Wouldn't we all have a better education? What if we kept our promises, to ourselves and others, and didn't lie about it.

This line of thinking/questioning was inspired by the smallest seeming thing. We live in an apartment building that shares two washers and dryers for 15 apartments. It seems like every time I go do laundry the lint trap is still full from the last load. Someone simply can't be bothered to clean it out. Three or four seconds it takes, and they don't do it. It might be forgetful, or thoughtless and inconsiderate, but mostly it is annoying for me. It's not like it's a big chore for me either. But I always do it for the next person. Before I even take my clothes out, just swipe my hand along there and put it into the trash. It happens all the time. But today I started to wonder: if this was their washer and dryer, in their house, would they still leave it there? Maybe the answer is yes. But it made me think.

And then I started to think, wow, what if I treated my body as well as I treated my lint trap, that's not even mine? What if I was more willing to be thoughtful about my health and well being? What if I followed through every time I said I would? I am pretty sure that I would be a much more organized and thoughtful person. What if I focused on not making promises I wasn't sure I could keep, and not lying about anything I didn't do? What if I s l o w e d down before answering a question, and made sure I truly understood what I had heard? What if I just tried to listen more... I don't know if I would communicate better or more effectively, but I think that would make talking to people easier. I think I would slowly become a more authentic version of myself, which sounds very nice right now.