Yes, Nice Matters

My friend, Jerry at FishHawk Droppings, thought of me the other day. He decided to bestow LifePrints with the Nice Matters Award. I am very flattered. This is the second time I've received this one and it's just as much of an honor this time. I hope I never forget that nice does matter in this world.

Just to drive the point home, here are a few tidbits to stir your imagination -

JustBeNice.com sells tee shirts, hats and such emblazoned with the slogan "Just Be Nice". No we can wear the motto.

Winn Claybaugh will teach you how to Just Be Nice or ELSE! He says, "In a world where you have to be computer literate, business savvy, a master negotiator, and dressed for success, you also must be nice. Winn Claybaugh believes learning how to be nice is the most important skill one must obtain: "When you start being nice, everyone wins!"

NewScientist Magazine says that social responsibility is mostly learned from our parents and that genes also contribute greatly to how nice we are. In this interesting article they also state that we spend more time socializing our girls. With boys we still have the age old attitude that boys will be boys. We don't seem to be as willing to take the same risk with the behavior of little girls.

Thank you again, Jerry, for this award. I'm going to pass it on to one of the nicest bloggers I know. Mike at Reality is Overrated is always there to answer questions and tell a joke. He's very active on the Blog Catalog forums. If he knows how to help you he will. He's quick with praise and I've never read anything unkind about other bloggers.

Mike, I don't know if anyone has given you this pretty pink award before. Post it if you wish...please pass it on to another kind soul. Congrats!

As a side note, I'm taking a little break from blogging to spend time with my family. I'll be back on Monday. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone and "Just be nice."

Global Warming - What Can One Person Do?

When confronted with the idea that the world could be headed toward catastrophy due to the effects of global warming, most people throw up their hands and say..But what can I do? Changing a few lightbulbs won't really make a difference.

That may be true but we can all do something. This man (he chose to remain anonymous on YouTube) is a science teacher. He's chosen to do something, to share his views on logic and reason. And what he presents is the clearest, easiest to understand presentation about climate change that I've ever seen. No scare tactics, just unadulterated logic. He even asks you to post a comment and let him know if you can find the flaws in his reasoning.

So far over 2 million people have viewed his video. If it causes even one person to lobby their congressman for significant policy changes then he, an anonymous science teacher from who knows where, has done more to help the world than most of us.

What I love about this is he uses his special skills as a teacher to contribute in a proactive way.

What skills do you have? Can you use them to bring about change?

Think about it. You never know. If you'd like to see more of his science videos on YouTube, his user name is wonderingmind42.

Secrets to Happiness from the Dalai Lama

On this day, when most of the United States is recovering from too much turkey and pumpkin pie, I thought I'd share with you the wisdom of the Dalai Lama. Here is his advice on how to achieve happiness. But even achieving is a misnomer...he would probably say to stop trying and just be.
Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go some place you've never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Have a wonderfully relaxing weekend and enjoy the company of your friends and family. Remember to be thankful for what you have and what you love. Be thankful for yourself, your body and your mind.