Mar 28 2008
Become A Better Person In Just 7 Days
There are many things that you can do to become a better person. You can work hard, exercise, and eat well for example. All of these things are great, no question about it. However, in my opinion, becoming a better person starts with being selfless. Doing good deeds for other people without expecting to gain from it is one of the most rewarding experiences that one can feel in a lifetime. Becoming a truly better person begins with giving outwardly. I’ve come up with this challenge:
7 days to becoming a better person.
Each day you do something selfless, that will not even take more than a few moments of your time, and experience first hand what it feels like to transform into a genuinely great person. Here’s the challenge:
Day 1 – Tell someone you love them
So many people out there never take the precious time to express how they feel to the ones that are truly important in their life. Expressing your love shouldn’t be seen as taboo or a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of confidence, and an expression of what you really feel. There is nothing more amazing than to know that someone loves you. On this first day of the challenge, choose someone in your life to make them feel that special feeling. It’s very simple, just sit them down and say something along those lines: “You know I don’t say this often enough but I do appreciate our bond and everything that you do for me. So I just wanted to tell you that I love you…I wanted you to know that.” In two minutes, you have made someone’s day….forget day, you’ve made their month! So pick a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a friend….anyone that you truly care about and say the magic word. You may get a little nervous just before, but once you say it, I guarantee you that you will feel amazing. Yes, becoming a better person is not a chore….it actually feels great!
Day 2 – Open your ears and listen
Everyone has their share of issues that they deal with on a daily basis. We all at some point need to be heard. We need to get things out and just blow some steam. Unfortunately, the art of listening is fading away. It’s becoming more and more of a struggle for people to find a good pair of ears to vent off to. So on day 2 of your quest to becoming a better person, you simply have to be there for someone close to you. That’s all you have to do. Listen to them. Let me tell you, I do this all the time with my friends. I make myself available for them and I just listen. You wouldn’t believe how it makes them happy to have someone listen to them. No opinions, no judgment. Listen unconditionally. You may not have realized the power of listening yet, but this exercise will prove it to you. It can make a tremendous difference in someone’s life, and it’s one of the best gifts you can give anyone.
Day 3 – Apologize
We all have made certain mistakes. We’ve all done things we regret. Unfortunately, the majority of the time, we never take the opportunity to make things better, perhaps out of pride or ego. So we carry this along with us. Sure, with time, its impact may fade a little, but there is a much more powerful method to deal with such situations. On day 3, it’s time for you to swallow your pride and apologize. Look into your past. Is there a particular person that you have lost touch with or haven’t spoken to in a while? Regardless of what happened, this is not the time to decide who was right and who was wrong. This is about healing a wound. Apologizing is not an admission that you were wrong. On the other hand, it is proof that you are confident enough to say it. This act will not only make the other party feel much better, it will inspire them. So by being the “bigger person” and apologizing, you create nothing but positive energy all around. This is as rewarding for you as it is for that other person.
Day 4 – Give away a valuable
Nowadays, the only time people give each other anything somewhat meaningful is on birthdays and holidays. What about the other 360-something days of the year? Simply giving contains so much power in and of itself. This is why on day 3, you will choose something meaningful that you will give to someone that you know will like it and/or benefit from it. It must be something in your home, that you already own. Perhaps a painting, or a book. Something that you hold dear and that will bring happiness and value to the person you choose to give it to. You see, sharing your wealth is one of the best ways to prove how much you care and necessary to becoming a good person. These types of gifts are so much more powerful than anything given on birthdays or holidays, because it shows that you gave it because you wanted to, not because you had it. This brings a whole new meaning to that gift and will make the person appreciate it even more!
Day 5 – Volunteer your time
The first few days, you have given back to the people close to you, but now, it is time to take this further than the comfort of your own surroundings! Giving back to your community and your society is just as important, and an integral part of making everything as a whole, a much better existence for all involved. On day 5, it is time for you to give some of your time away. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can volunteer your time helping out at your children’s school, or at a local community center for example. It doesn’t have to be a full day or many hours. Volunteer the time that you can. What I mean is that instead of watching tv or surfing the web for example, take some of that time and do something that will help contribute to the development of your community. Ask around, could be something at work or related to a particular activity that you do. Nobody refuses a helping hand and everyone benefits out of it 
Day 6 – Help out a stranger
So many people out there could use the help of some good people. After all, we are all humans and we should stick up for one another. I’ve always been amazed by stories of complete strangers risking their life to help a fellow human being. If we can just help anyone with a fraction of such a commitment, then we’ve all made a difference. On day 6, it’s time to do a kind gesture for a total stranger. Could be helping an elderly person with their bags, or helping a kid cross the street, there are so many tiny gestures that we can do in our daily life to help others it’s incredible. When you see a car break down on the side of the road, most people drive by, thinking that help is on the way or that someone else will stop. How about you become the person that stops? How about you become the person whose gesture makes a total stranger’s day? This is your opportunity to showcase how a good-hearted person reacts in such situations for the greater good of all involved.
Day 7 – Donate
The world is a big place, but in the end, we are a tiny community in the vastness of the Universe. All we have is each other. Although they may not live nearby, there are so many people around the world that need the assistance of good natured people. On this final day, it is time to take your good deeds global! There are tons of really good charities and organizations across the globe that make it their goal to help out those that are in need. Pick any organization about any particular cause that you may hold dear to your heart, and provide them with a donation. The internet makes it really easy now to find such organizations, so this final step is super simple and quick to complete. Donate whatever you can. The amount is not important. What is important is that even though your gesture was simple and quick, the difference it will make will resonate with far greater significance in the grand scheme of things.
So there you have it! 7 days and a better you comes out of it. As a matter of fact, if you have noticed, in becoming a better person, you have affected the lives of so many different people in such positive ways. With such small gestures each day, you have made a difference in your life as well as in other people’s, and that is what becoming a better person is all about. You may find that after these 7 days, you have now developed a habit and that you will continue each and every day to give back. If you have created a “momentum” of doing good deeds and that it will keep on going, then I have done my work. This can indeed become life changing! So you have the challenge and I would love to hear what you all have done and how it’s impacted your life and those around you 
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A friend of mine just emailed me one of your articles from a while back. I read that one a few more. Really enjoy your blog. Thanks.
Jason Whitmen
Apologizing is the hardest part just to make things short eventhough deep inside you know that there’s is nothing to be sorry about. But you know what it feels good…Thanks for sharing
I really want to change and live a better life i think this will really help me i have lot’s of problems but allhamdulillah mean (thank god) i stoped most of it and i feel better now but there is still lil bit in me so i want to ask you more peranol questions’s so can i get your email or u can e-mail and well start talkin my email is badruballa@yahoo.com
thank you
Badru H Wako
Your plan seems like an effective one. If only we could work up to including all 7 deeds eventually into one day or at the exact moment that they each apply. That’s something healthy to occupy the mind with!
I have been diagnosed with bipolar and i think i have been hurting people around me by the things i say.Help me please to be a better person.Sometimes its very hard to even ask for help without feeling guilty, like i’m asking for too much.
Ive hurt my cousin, sister,granfather,father,mother and everyone i know i sometimes feel as though its better to not exist.Please help me change my ways.Iwould really like to make a positive difference and express more love.I truly am sorry
I just came across your blog and wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the information you have posted here. I also have websites & blogs so I know what I am talking about when I say your site is top-notch! Keep up the great w…
Great article lots to think about! keep up the goodness
The steps to being a better person are the easiest have seen but society does not encourage nice people. I would try it out though, i feel i’m doing most already.
It is something worthful…
full useful tips….very good sharing, I will try to implemented your advice
*Thanx for the useful tips…I know that It will help me alot in my every day life…*
This was a great article it wasn’t full of procrastination or condescending just helpful. Made me feel better to think I’m worth more than just my looks but that my actions will actually have a positive impact should I make the effort.
Thankyou, I hope more people can implement these tips.
M.
I have changed for the better quite a bit within the past few months. I have bettered myself so much. But then I did something that made me feel like I haven’t changed at all. It surprised me that I did something so horrible. I even lost the person I care most about because of it. And I have felt horrible for myself all day today. So I realized I really have to change, doing the wrong thing is not the person I want to be at all. I have felt so proud of myself for the past few months, but today opened my eyes to a lot of things. I am going to volunteer at Habitat for Humanities Monday, and there are so many clothes that I don’t even wear that I am going to take to Good Will. My dad and I got in a fuss today, when he was just trying to help me. So tomorrow morning I am going to wake up, cook him breakfast and tell him how much he truly means to me and how grateful I am to have him. This article has truly inspired me and helped me. Those sort of things that you described in the article are the things I want to do, It’s the person I truly want to be! Thank you so much for taking the time to actually sit down and type it up and express these great things. I know it has had to of inspired so many people.
God Bless You!!
Hi Ashley,
I’m very proud of you for realizing your error and being diligent to know that you can be a better person. I appreciate that you liked the article, my goal was to show that by doing one good deed per day, we can become a completely new and better person in just 1 week. Imagine what can happen if we keep this up for the rest of our life!
cheers
Frederic
I have read all 7 things. And they sound very useful. Im trying to become a better person for myself, and for God. I want my parents and friends to be proud of me. So doing things like that can make a big change, and im ready for the challenge:)I have a little 11 yr old sister, and I am almost 15. So she looks up to me, and I want her to be able to look up at a good sister. People think that im a bad influence and that im not a good person. Well im ready to prove them all wrong, and finally say, ” I told you that I was going to change, how does it feel being proved wrong?.”
Mary, I like how you want to be a good example for your little sister. This is a good motivator to truly turn the page and become a better person. Hope you prove them all wrong! Keep us updated
I am impressed with what i’ve just read, i am gonna try this 7 days thing out!
@ SherryAnn
I think it’s great that you are unhappy with the things you have done because it shows that you realize the truth about your past actions and the impact they have had on people that you care about. It’s a huge step that you are processing this, so good for you! If you want to be a better person, you can be.
I provide this website in the hope that it will help light up the path for you. Enjoy and be brave… you are the only one that can free your mind. Take on that challenge and live the life you dream of. <3
Freedomainradio.com
thank you for the wonderful article
I really want to become a better person- there are so many things that I’ve done wrong lately- I haven’t seen or talked to my dad in over a year, I have already skipped probably 10 classes and it’s only the first month – I want to quit smoking and stop drinking energy drinks and help my family save money so I plan to do this. It will only be seven days and what’s one week? I hope I will learn how to conduct myself appropriatley and how to care more about the people around me. Thank-you for this site!
This was a good article…but wht do i do if i dont hav friends or im not a socializing person?
Isn’t is amazing that the irony of life is to be giving of yourself to God and for others. Isn’t it worth wondering how the universe gives us back what ever we give to it and to others and in return we feel fulfilled. That is life. This was how it was meant to be and this is how is still is. As the good Book says, love God and love His image. To become a better person, you have to know your source, know yourself, love people and apply principles.
I believe that this article is a true insipration! I would like to post this in a lot of places that don’t see very much of the simple gestures you have said here. I am going to make it a short term goal to accomplish these each day begining with today!
That person I am giong to tell them is my friend who does a lot for me and get’s little to none recognition and very little sincere thank you’s.
The person I am going to apoligize for is going to be my mom. I have never in my life had an actual converstation with her without her getting mad at me for something petty so I am going to try and make a final relationship with her and we will see how it goes from there.
Thank you so much for posting this article!
Hi Shelby,
I’m glad you found this article inspirational…I hope you create a better relationship for you and your mother and friend. Being a better person does start with the ones closest to us, and this is crucial to make a lasting improvement, because those closest to us are usually the ones we take for granted the most.
cheers,