The Best Person

So I spent time on my last post expressing how I want people to focus on improving themselves. I know I threw the whole 'be the best person you can be' around as if it's really that simple. No, no, no... I completely understand the difficulty that comes with trying to be the 'best person.' I spent years, and still is, praying for God's guidance and self-reflecting on my thoughts and actions. It was no easy walk in the park to get where I am today. Fortunately, I have a reminding mother, a forgiving best friend, and a committing ex-boyfriend to thank for. My mother reminded me to pray, my best friend (LOVE YOU HONG!!!) showed me the warmth of a big heart, and the love I shared for my ex was the greatest and most generous thing I've given anyone thus far. These three are the most influential people in my life and have molded what I consider 'the best person.'

These are some actions/qualities I try my best to achieve, most days I'm successful, some days I fail...
-Optimism: To stay positive and hopeful. To understand that after the rain, the sun will shine again.
-Gratitude: To be grateful for everything God has given me. To express thankfulness to all those that have helped me. To be content with what I have.
-Persistence: To never give up. To fight. To try repeatedly until goal is reached.
-Altruism: To help others and expect nothing in return. This one is a toughie, but it gets easier the more you do it... 8)
-Patience: I struggle with this daily. One of the most valuable virtues to me. I have a horrible temper and staying calm/collected is usually not an option. However, I have learned to shut up sometimes and take a breather to help.
-Forgiveness: I am a true believer in 2nd chances and many people have burned bridges with me even after many chances. I still choose to believe the best in people because I know people are capable of change.
-Apologize when wrong: this is rare because I barely ever think I'm wrong. But when I am, I have no trouble apologizing.
-To never damage one's reputation
-To never purposely hurt anyone

My main goal is to be kind. My idea of kindness is not sweet talking people's ears off. I believe kindness is when one truly cares about others' best interests. No matter how great or horrendous a person can be, you just wish them the best in life. It's hard especially when people mistreat you. Being human, I have been angry and temporarily wished ill upon a person. It's okay to be angry, but never mean it. Especially when you're angry, your heart can turn black from such thoughts. Let yourself be angry and then move on. Trust me when I tell you, it's better to be happy for someone than to be jealous and unhappy in your life...

So this wraps up what I consider the 'best person'...it's my daily journey of attempting to be a caring and loving person. It's hard because I'm selfish by nature but this is my goal in life. I will try repeatedly until I get there...8)