How to Make Your Home a Better Place - Part 1

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Once there was a man who came to a rocky land.  He determined to make some improvements, so he began yearly planting trees and shrubs.  Soon the rocky land became a fruitful land, full of birds, animals, and life.  His wife was made out of the same hardy stock as he was, and she brought up their many children, teaching them and showing them how to really live.

In the process of time, the man died, and his wife led the household.  Before each of the children left home, she had the same little talk.  In it, she told of the rocky, barren land, their father's toil in planting the trees, and his desire that his children grow up to be useful men and women.  At the end of her story, she told the children a very special saying which they remembered the rest of their lives:

 "Make the world a bit more beautiful and better because you have been in it.”

How can we make the world a better place?  Well, every real and wonderful change always starts at home. 

So the real question is, how can we make our homes a better place? 

Here are some ideas:

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1.  Obey your warm-hearted impulses.

Write that note, say those three special words, rock the baby, call Mom, read the little ones a book, or do any one of a million warm-hearted things that make the world go 'round.

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2.  Push out your cold-hearted impulses.

When the urge to do something mean or nasty comes into your mind, push it out, and replace it with something completely different.  Take a little mental vacation and go somewhere else, letting that cold-hearted desire just slip away.  Even sad thoughts can be replaced with happier things.  Soon you will find those thoughts coming less and less, and much more fun thoughts will take their place.

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3.  Take 5 minutes to just sit and watch the clouds scuttle by, or watch the flowers bloom, or enjoy the birds on the wires.

We all need time to just "be."  We may feel like it's a waste of time, but it's actually great opportunities for our minds to sift through what's really important and what isn't, and begin to make some priorities.  Five minutes isn't much, but it's a great start!

Stay tuned for part 2 in this series, How to Make Your Home a Happier Place.  Do you think the children of that hardy couple really did become useful people?