What does it mean to be a good person?

😂 Heavens to Betsy Ross! Whatever Happened to Just Being a Good Person?! ❤️

What does it mean to be a good person?

Well, goodness gracious, Charlie Brown! You would think this would be one of the easiest questions in the history of mankind to answer, but apparently, somewhere along the way, a few folks missed the memo, skipped the lesson, and possibly ate the instruction manual! 🤦‍♀️😂

Personally, I think being a good person comes down to one simple little thing we’ve all heard since we were knee-high to a grasshopper:

THE GOLDEN RULE! ✨

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Now, I’m not sure if some people misunderstood that rule, thought it was optional, or decided it only applied on Tuesdays when Mercury wasn’t in retrograde, but HEAVENS TO BETSY ROSS! We’ve got some work to do, people! 😂

Being a good person doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, walk around wearing a halo, or suddenly become Mother Teresa with a designer handbag and a Starbucks coffee!

It simply means BE NICE!

Treat people with kindness. Show respect. Have some manners. Help someone without expecting something in return. And for the love of all things holy, STOP BEING SO DANG MEAN TO EACH OTHER!

I mean, seriously! Some people wake up every morning acting like somebody poured pickle juice in their coffee, stole their favorite shoes, and ran over their mailbox! 😳

And unfortunately, there are people in this world who are just plain MISERABLE! They’re unhappy with their own lives, so apparently they’ve decided to make everybody else’s life a traveling circus of misery!

Well, honey, just because your circus is in town doesn’t mean I’m buying a ticket! 🎪😂

Your unhappiness does not give you a free pass to treat other people like garbage!

And here’s something else I’ve learned over my 50-something years of living on this crazy spinning planet: You can be the nicest person in the world, and somebody will STILL find a reason not to like you!

You could hand them a hundred-dollar bill, a glass of their favorite wine, and a first-class ticket to paradise, and they’d complain that the wine wasn’t chilled properly!

GOOD GRIEF, CHARLIE BROWN! 🍷😂

But here’s the thing. Being a good person isn’t about how other people treat YOU. It’s about how YOU choose to treat THEM.

Now, does that mean you have to let people walk all over you like a welcome mat at Walmart?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

You can be kind and still have boundaries. You can forgive someone and still decide they don’t deserve a front-row seat in your life anymore!

And believe me, this Scorpio has learned that lesson a time or twelve! ♏️😂

So, what does being a good person look like in my little world?

Well, I’m glad you asked!

❤️ Hold the door open for someone instead of letting it slam in their face!

❤️ Help someone get into their car, load their groceries, or carry their bags. You might just make their entire day!

❤️ Take an elderly neighbor or friend to the doctor, grocery store, or airport. Not everybody has someone they can call!

❤️ Invite someone to lunch or dinner. Sometimes a good meal and a little conversation are exactly what someone needs!

❤️ Pick up the telephone and CALL someone! Yes, people, those little devices actually make PHONE CALLS! They’re not just for texting, scrolling Facebook, and investigating everybody else’s business! 📱😂

❤️ Write someone a letter or send a card just to say you’re thinking about them. Imagine opening your mailbox and finding something besides bills and advertisements!

❤️ Check on people who live alone. Sometimes just hearing another person’s voice can brighten their day!

❤️ Give someone a compliment! And mean it! You don’t have to be handing out fake compliments like free samples at Costco!

❤️ And here’s a big one: HELP SOMEONE WITHOUT POSTING IT ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA! 😳

I know! SHOCKING!

You can actually do something nice without taking seventeen pictures, making a video, and announcing to the entire population that you’ve performed an act of kindness!

Imagine that! 😂

Now, don’t misunderstand me. There’s nothing wrong with sharing kindness and inspiring others. But sometimes the sweetest things in life are the ones nobody else ever knows about.

And while we’re on the subject of being good people, can we PLEASE discuss this business of holding grudges?!

HEAVENS TO BETSY ROSS AND THE ENTIRE REVOLUTIONARY WAR! 🇺🇸😂

Some folks are still mad about something that happened in 1987!

Honey, the hairstyles have changed, the shoulder pads have disappeared, and we’ve had about forty-seven different versions of the iPhone since then!

LET. IT. GO!

I’m not saying forget what someone did to you. Oh, absolutely NOT! This Scorpio has a memory like an elephant with a filing cabinet! ♏️🐘

But there’s a BIG difference between forgiving someone and inviting them right back into your life to create another Category 5 hurricane!

Forgiveness does NOT mean forgetting!

Forgiveness means you’re no longer allowing what someone did to you to control your happiness, your peace, or your future.

You can forgive someone, wish them well, and still wave goodbye from a VERY safe distance!

Preferably from a beautiful balcony overlooking the ocean with a glass of Cabernet in your hand! 🍷🌊

And if Spirit Water happens to make an appearance, well, she’s probably going to suggest an entirely different solution involving a pier and some sharks! 🦈😂

But we’re talking about being GOOD people today, so Spirit Water is going to sit this one out and sip her wine! 😂

Seriously, though, I think this world has become so angry, judgmental, hateful, and downright exhausting that we’ve forgotten how much a little kindness can mean.

Everybody’s arguing about something!

Politics! Religion! Relationships! Money! Who said what! Who did what! Who didn’t invite whom to the neighborhood barbecue!

GOODNESS GRACIOUS!

Some of y’all need a vacation, a good night’s sleep, a glass of wine, and possibly a long conversation with Jesus, Budda, cosmic gods or whomever! 😂🙏

Life is entirely too short to spend it being angry, holding grudges, plotting revenge, or trying to make other people miserable!

And trust me, I know life isn’t always sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns dancing through fields of daisies.

People hurt us. People disappoint us. People betray us. And sometimes the very people we would do anything for are the ones who hurt us the most.

But don’t let those experiences turn you into the very kind of person who hurt you.

Be better. Be kinder. Be the person you wish more people would become.

You don’t have to agree with everyone. You don’t have to like everyone. And you certainly don’t have to invite everyone over for wine and cheese on Friday night!

But you CAN treat people with basic human decency!

And remember, you never know what somebody else is going through behind closed doors. That person who seems quiet, distracted, or unfriendly might be fighting a battle you know absolutely nothing about.

A little kindness might mean more than you’ll ever realize.

So, here’s my Christy philosophy for today:

Be kind. Be respectful. Be helpful. Forgive. Set boundaries. Love your people. Check on your friends. And for heaven’s sake, STOP BEING A MEAN HUMAN!

You don’t need a million dollars, a fancy title, a designer wardrobe, or a mansion overlooking the ocean to be a good person.

Although, let’s not get carried away. I’ll gladly accept the oceanfront mansion! 😂🌊

All you really need is a good heart, a little compassion, some common sense, and the willingness to treat others the way you’d want to be treated.

And if you can’t find anything nice to say?

Well, as my grandmother’s generation would tell you, maybe it’s best to just keep that little mouth shut!

Because kindness is FREE, people! And unlike groceries, gas, and everything else these days, it hasn’t gone up a single penny! 😂❤️

So spread a little sunshine, forgive somebody, help a stranger, hug your family, call an old friend, and enjoy this beautiful life while you’re here!

We only get ONE!

And I’d much rather spend mine traveling the world, drinking good wine, loving my family and friends, rescuing animals, and checking off my bucket list than wasting one precious minute being miserable and mean!

Heavens to Betsy Ross! Just be a GOOD HUMAN! It’s really not that complicated! 😂❤️

And remember…

Being a good person doesn’t mean everyone will be good to you. It means you refuse to let their bad behavior change your good heart.

Now, go be somebody’s sunshine today! ☀️

YOLO! CARPE DIEM! 🌎🍷❤️

— Christy, Unfiltered ♏️✨