What do you have to lose? It's just a Please and Thank Youse.

Living in your head is very easy to do. You can create the world there that can be completely different from the world around you. The confirmation bias has you searching out and recognizing only those things that add to or confirm the way you view the world. It is easy to fall into this trap because there is nothing really to prevent you or I from ending up there. But here is a quick solution to help pull you out of your head.

Use Please and Thank You as often as you can.

I think most people are not intentionally rude, but it is hard to see how we come across to each other. It is easy to judge a person on their actions but only judge ourselves on our thoughts, intentions, and actions. A simple please or a kind thank you goes a long way.

A Harvard study showed how giving thanks can make you happy. Part of the study that stuck out to me was that even saying thank you in your head adds to your happiness. Take it a step further and say it in your head and to the person with who you are talking.

Bringing this closer to home is teaching please and thank you to your kids. I am a firm believer in creating the home you want to be a part of. I want to be part of a home that uses please and thank you, partially because I love hearing thank you after I do something to help someone else. Teaching a two year old to use please and thank you is a thankless process. But stick with it and help you child use those words each and everyday. But buyer beware, as a parent you need to be using them as well. Behavior is modeled not taught.

If you have fallen out of the habit of using please and thank you, please start using them right now! If you think you may come across as rude or harsh, use please and thank you in your interactions and you will soften to the other person.

Thank you!