How to make the World a Better Place

Hi guys, welcome here. How do you do?

I said I was going to blog more this month and I'm doing that already. See? I'm back here again within the space of two days. 

Where's my applause?

Today, I write about how to make the world a better place. It is our responsibility and the earlier we start, the better for us. And I'll tell you how you can start. 

Dive in, already!

So one time I saw one piece of rubbish someone posted online and I said to the person beside me: how can I correct this girl? I wanted to but didn't because that person laughed and asked me if I wanted to become an internet police. She said that I should just mind my business. 

I know you just nodded your head in agreement on reading that. Yes, mind your business sounds noble and good, but is it a way of being your brother's keeper?

For context: this person is a close friend and we have a good relationship.

If the world will become a better place, we all have a portion of responsibility to make it so. And you must pull your weight. Do your part. 

I don't mean you should go about correcting everyone, especially rudely. Never. But those you can and feel you should, do so very nicely and politely. 

Especially people close to you. I want to believe that if I post any nonsense online, my friends would slide into my DM and tell me straight up. 

Some people do not know better and might never do because you let a teaching-learning moment slide. 

A teaching-learning moment is one where you should say something specific to enlighten or correct a person about an issue at a particular time. It can come up as nudges in conversations with people and sometimes we let it pass.

Don't do that. Correct in love, for love, and with love. And this is not just restricted to online posts. Character defects and areas of improvement in those around you that you notice. Don't you think there's a higher reason it came to you at that time? Cease the moment dear. Help people evolve to higher versions of themselves. 

Especially if you're not a nosy person but a particular thought about someone's actions keep coming to you. It might be a sign to do something about it. Let God lead you, and be strategic and loving as you do so.

We all have blind spots that we'd never know if it's not brought to our notice. While some people dare to ask others for feedback, which by the way is so amazing, others would never, and it's not so good. 

Develop the habit of asking for feedback on your life. It's called Radical candor. 

To maximize personal development, we must engage personal awareness. Know yourself very well. Know your strengths, and weaknesses, and ask for your blindspots.

Like Johary said in the Johary window theory, there are things people know about you that you don't know. Called the blindspot. If they are things that can inhibit your growth, you had better work on shrinking that window.

The Johari window is a technique that helps people better understand their relationship with themselves and others. It was created by psychologists Joseph Luft (1916–2014) and Harrington Ingham (1916–1995) in 1955 and is used primarily in self-help groups and corporate settings as a heuristic exercise. 

It states the four windows of personal awareness, their differences, and how they can be applied to make you better. 

The four windows are:

The known window: what you know about yourself and everyone also knows.

The unknown window: what you know about yourself that no one else knows.

The hidden window: what you don't know about yourself and no one else knows (except God, of course)

The blind window: what you don't know about yourself but others do.

Research more about it, you can start here.

Now, when you ask people to let you in on your blindspots, take your emotions out of the way, learn the lessons, make the necessary adjustments and grow. Growth can be hard, but it's very necessary.

Sometimes, they might have a different perspective that doesn't match your personality, or they might misunderstand certain things and that's ok. That's why you must know yourself so you can recognize what should be corrected and what should be overlooked. 

I learned this two years ago and I started with my siblings. Gave them the assignment to write things they didn't like about me and I read and adjusted. Before then, a couple of my friends had called a meeting to tell me some things I was doing that was wrong at the time. It was a tough pill to swallow at the time, but thank God I did. And I'm grateful to them for that.

It's hard stuff, no jokes and I'm still learning to embrace it, but if we'd become better, we must review and examine ourselves to know the areas we fall short in. And believe me, people will tell you if you ask and make use of what they tell you. 

Now, I'm not saying you should just go around asking random people about you. No, ask those that you know love you and are looking out for your growth. 

Don't go asking people that you know already put you down intentionally. You'd do yourself no good. As a rule sef, I'd suggest you ask people you'd usually go to for advice. 

I know there's a place for intercession, definitely. But there's also a place for interaction most times. And you must interact. Now, intercession does the groundwork and prepares their heart to be receptive. Talk to the one who has their heart in His hand, and talk to them as He leads you.

It is people that care enough that correct, confront, reprove and call out bad character. Be that person in your relationships. They'll thank you for that later, even if they don't appreciate it now. 

I know this title says how to make the world a better place. Before you can reach the world as a whole, reach the people in your world. Reach your family, friends, and colleagues with the message of careful and loving confrontation. 

I want to assume you know that you can't correct someone if you're worse at that or you have the same trait. Won't that be acting like a hypocrite? Remove the log in your eye before you go for the spec in someone else's, abi do you want to play the pot and kettle game? I.e: pot calling kettle black. I doubt it.

The summary of it all is: work on your blind spots and help others work on theirs. That's how to make the world a better place, one person at a time. 

Have you been blessed today?

Selah.

Love and light

Nancita✨