Make the world a better place this week with
one more act of civility and one more act of gratitude.

In preparation for an upcoming webinar, I reacquainted myself with some excellent books. Each one has timely—if not “timeless”—strategies to create a more civil world for ourselves and those around us.

For today, I will pull one key takeaway from each work and relate to our topic of fostering civility and nurturing gratitude. I encourage you to dig deeper into one or more of these works for more effective exercises and strategies.

*Achor, Shawn. The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuels Success    and Performance at Work.

• The research suggests “…consistently grateful people are more energetic, emotionally intelligent, forgiving, and less likely to be depressed, anxious, or lonely.” We have to practice looking for the good—and we have to practice it consistently.
• How do YOU practice appreciating the good things that happen in YOUR life?

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*Adele, Deborah.  The Yamas and Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice.

• Do we practice non-violence? Adele reminds us that “…our ability to be nonviolent to others is directly related to our ability to be nonviolent within ourselves…to do no harm.”
• What can YOU do to reclaim peace within yourself?

*Forni, P.M. Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct.

• Do we act with integrity toward others? Forni sets forth twenty-five rules for civil conduct.
• What rules of civility do YOU practice and model?

*Lee, John. The Anger Solution: The Proven Method for Achieving Calm and Developing Healthy, Long- Lasting Relationships.

• Have we established boundaries and limits in our lives—and do others know they exist? If we don’t announce these, how can we get mad if someone violates them?
• What are YOUR boundaries? What are YOUR limits?

*Leider, Richard and David A. Shapiro. Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life.

• Who are the nutritious people in your life?  Note them and thank them.
• Are YOU a nutritious person?

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Video recommendation for the week:

*Orloff, Judith. Positive Energy: 10 extraordinary prescriptions for transforming.

• Nutritious people may be wonderful but what about those toxic people in our lives who test the limits of civility? Watch out for the energy vampires in our lives.
•  Are YOU an energy vampire?

*Ruiz, Don Miguel. The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book.

• What guides your life? His first agreement—Be Impeccable with Your Word—speaks directly to civility.
• How do YOU, as Ruiz states, “use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love”?

Make the world a better place this week with one more act of civility and one more act of gratitude.

Enjoy your week—and H.T.R.B. as needed!

On July 15, I will offer my next webinar. The topic: Fostering Civility and Nurturing an Attitude of Gratitude.   Take advantage of this complementary offering.  Click here to register now for the webinar.  Or go to my website for registration information. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Please share it (and any of the archived posts on this site) along to friends and colleagues. You also can follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you get a chance, visit my Facebook page and join in–or start–a conversation (www.facebook.com/stevepiscitelli).  If you have suggestions for future posts, leave a comment. Make it a wonderful week!

 ©2013. Steve Piscitelli