Moral Lessons

7. Cultivate Your Skills and Talents

Your talents and skills are your best contribution to the country. Whether you’re skilled in the arts, sciences, or sports, your country has benefited from it in one way or another.

If you’re making a living from it, the taxes you pay are used in nation-building. And if you compete in international events, you bring honor to the country. As such, your country will benefit a lot more if you cultivate whatever skills and talents you have.

8. Keep Your Home in Order

The family is the basic unit of society and the home is where someone’s values and beliefs are formed. Thus, keeping your home in order is already making a positive contribution to society.

9. Follow the Law

The law might be harsh or unfair at times but it is the law. And it’s your duty as a citizen to follow them and encourage others to do so.

10. Treat Others With Respect

Being a good citizen means treating everyone with respect no matter who they are or where they come from. Remember that how you treat others reflects the kind of society you were brought up in. If you don’t know how to respect other people’s culture, beliefs, and traditions, then what does that say about your country?

11. Stand up to Injustice

Every day, millions of people are experiencing injustice all over the world. Yet, only very few have the courage to stand up against it. But remember that as long as most of us are turning a blind eye to the injustices happening around us, there can be no real change. Besides, it’s our duty as citizens to defend those who cannot fight for themselves.

12. Conserve Resources

A country’s natural resources are its greatest assets. That’s why doing your part in conserving those resources is already a service to your country.

Besides, resources like water, in particular, are vital to people’s survival. You may not think much about not turning the faucet off or not fixing a leaking pipe but in some areas, all that wasted water can already cost a life.

13. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Just like conserving resources, a good citizen should practice the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Reducing your waste keeps the landfill from overflowing with trash. It also keeps potentially toxic materials from rivers, streams, oceans, and waterways. While reusing and recycling materials saves money and resources. It helps your country save on waste disposal costs. Plus, it ensures that raw materials are turned into new products reducing the need for virgin materials and conserving the country’s resources.

14. Pay Your Taxes

This goes without saying. Paying taxes is an obligation for every income-earning citizen. And if you want to be a good citizen, you must pay your taxes diligently. Your taxes are used to build roads and bridges, fund schools, and pay the military. If you don’t pay your taxes, how will the government do all those?

Being a good citizen may not be that easy but it’s not that hard either. All you need is a little bit of selflessness and a whole lot of love for your country and its people. But at the end of the day, it still boils down to your choices. So make sure to choose to be a good citizen every single day.

15. Support local businesses and artisans

Supporting local businesses and artisans helps stimulate the local economy and creates a sense of community pride and connection. By choosing to buy from local shops and artisans, you are contributing to the livelihoods of your neighbors and fostering a vibrant and diverse local culture. Additionally, supporting local businesses often leads to more sustainable practices, as they tend to have a smaller carbon footprint than large-scale corporations.

What Does it Mean To Be a Good Citizen?

Being a good citizen means being responsible for your community and country. It means following the laws, respecting others, and caring for your environment. It also means being kind, honest, and helpful to others. Being a good citizen means doing your part to make your community better for everyone.

What Makes a Good Citizen?

Being a good citizen involves following the laws, treating others with kindness and respect, and caring for the environment. Good citizens participate in their communities, voting, volunteering, and helping others when they can. They stay informed about important issues and strive to make positive changes individually and collectively. By embodying values such as honesty, empathy, and integrity, good citizens play an essential role in creating a better world for everyone.

Characteristics Of A Good Citizen

1. Responsible

Good citizens take responsibility for their actions and obligations. They fulfill their duties, such as paying taxes, obeying laws, and participating in civic activities.

2. Respectful

Good citizens show respect for others, regardless of their differences. They treat others with kindness, empathy, and fairness.

3. Honest

Good citizens value honesty and integrity. They are truthful and trustworthy in their interactions with others.

4. Civic-minded

Good citizens actively engage in civic activities and show an interest in the well-being of their community and country. They vote, stay informed, and participate in initiatives that benefit society.

5. Environmentally conscious

Good citizens care about the environment and take steps to protect it. They practice eco-friendly habits and promote sustainability.

14. Peaceful mornings

The relative serenity of early mornings is sometimes our only haven in this fast-paced world.

15. Living on this beautiful planet

The Earth might not be the biggest or the most beautiful planet in the universe but it’s perfect for us. This scarred but amazing planet has provided us with the means to live for billions of years.

16. Your voice

If you can still speak and sing, then consider it a blessing. Not everyone enjoys such privilege.

17. Your parents

Your relationship with your parents may not be perfect but they gave life to you. I’m sure they love you too, though they may have different ways of expressing it.

18. Having clothes to wear

Again, if you’re wearing clean clothes right now, you are better off than half the world’s population.

19. Being a citizen of a country

According to UNHCR, there are around ten million people around the world who are stateless. So even if you don’t like some aspects of your country, you should still be thankful that you have one to call your own. 

20. The ability to love and be loved

Being able to give and receive love is one of the most special gifts endowed to us.

21. Your senses

The ability to see, hear, smell, and touch things is a blessing that not all people get to enjoy.

22. The people who rejected you

Rejections and disappointments make you stronger. So instead of hating on the people who rejected you, thank them. If not for them, you wouldn’t be the strong, courageous person you are today.

23. Your job

With unemployment rates skyrocketing, having a job in this economy is a blessing.

24. The people who hate you

Just like the people who rejected you, your enemies also help you become a better person. They inspire you to prove to the world that you are so much better than the person they think you are.

25. Nature

The seas, rivers, trees, mountains, and every creature that lives in them are a testament to Mother Nature’s generosity. It’s time we appreciate that and start taking care of her precious gifts.

26. Education

According to UNESCO, there are still 773 million illiterate people around the world. So, the fact that you’re able to read this post right now is already a big privilege. The knowledge and skills you gained through education have opened a world of opportunities that some can only dream of.

27. Access to transportation

It doesn’t matter if your car isn’t top-of-the-line or you have to take the bus to and from work. Having access to transportation itself is already a blessing. Just imagine what you’ll do if there are no cars, buses, planes, boats, or ships. You may never be able to leave your continent or see the clouds up close.

28. Music

Whether we’re happy or sad, angry or in love, we turn to music to express how we feel. But what if music didn’t exist? The world would be dull and lifeless. There would be no dancing, concerts, or festivities. So even if you’re tone-deaf or beat-deaf, you should still be thankful for music.

29. Access to the internet

The internet isn’t something you’ll probably come up with when thinking of things to be thankful for. But without it, you wouldn’t be able to read this post or read any type of blog, for that matter. Having access to the internet means having access to information at the tip of our fingers. Not everyone gets to enjoy that privilege.

30. The rain

The rain isn’t something you’d always appreciate, especially if you haven’t brought your umbrella. But in some parts of the world, rain is so precious and rare that festivals and special rituals are held in its honor. So even if you were caught off guard by the sudden downpour, consider it a blessing, and don’t forget to utter a thanksgiving prayer.

Embracing the Power of Gratitude

Practicing gratitude when life is beating down on you isn’t easy. In fact, it takes a special kind of inner strength and resilience to appreciate your blessings in times of hardship. That’s not to say, however, that it’s impossible.

You can start by appreciating the things you have, like the ones listed above. Remind yourself that no matter how dire the situation may seem, there is always a silver lining.

If you fill your heart with gratitude, there won’t be any room for discontent, self-pity, or greed. So embrace the power of gratitude, and step onto the path to a more fulfilling life.

Lessons from the Good Samaritan Story

Here are some of the most valuable lessons we can learn from the Good Samaritan story:

1. Help When Someone Needs Help

Having the intent to help is good, but acting on that intent is much better. The Samaritan’s intent didn’t save the wounded man from death. It’s his actions that ultimately saved the man’s life. He didn’t walk away, just like the two men before him. He decided to do something.

In our time, that half-dead man’s photos would end up on social media before he even got to the hospital. Everybody would take pictures, but very few would actually dare to help. We’ll feel sorry for that person but not enough to get involved. Now, are we the good Samaritan, or are we the men who walked away?

2. Race Should Never Matter

Xenophobia and racial prejudice have always been a great divider among nations. Since ancient times to the present, we tend to distrust others who don’t look like us or sound like us.

But the Samaritan didn’t care about race. He showed us that racism has no place in charity. And that we should help others regardless of where they came from or what they believe in. After all, we are all created equal: no one race is superior or inferior to the other. And at the end of the day, we all belong to the same race: humanity.

3. Be Kind Even To Your Haters

Have you ever wished ill of your enemy? Admit it or not, at some point in our lives, we’ve all done that. Sometimes, the temptation to take revenge on our enemies is just so strong and difficult to resist.

In the story, the injured traveler most probably hated the Samaritan. And he knew that the dying man may still hate him after he recovered. Yet, he helped him.

The civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. famously said:

“On the parable of the Good Samaritan: “I imagine that the first question the priest and Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But by the very nature of his concern, the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

Consider putting yourself in the Samaritan’s shoes. What would you have thought of first? The fact that he’s from a different race or that he is dying and needs help?

4. Help Without Expecting Something in Return

Be honest with yourself, would you help someone if you knew they would never be able to return the favor? If you answered yes, then good for you. But most of us wouldn’t.

Most of us help because we are expecting a reward of some sort. We return a lost wallet and expect the owner to reward us. We help our friends because we assume that they’ll also help us when we are in need.

But, in doing so, we create a world where we only help “our kind” and those who are “one of us.” There is not much incentive to help strangers if we know we can get nothing from them.

The Samaritan knew that the wounded man might never help him in return. Yet, he pressed on because he knew it was the right thing to do.

Following in the Good Samaritan’s Footsteps

Being a Good Samaritan in its modern-day context is hard. Most of the time, we are so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget about our less fortunate brethren. But you can still fix that.

Start with little acts of kindness and practice more empathy. Think less about what others can do for you and more about what you can do for them. That, in itself, is already being a good Samaritan. 

Caring For and Helping Others Quotes

1. To be successful is to be helpful, caring, and constructive, to make everything and everyone you touch a little bit better. – Norman Vincent Peale
2. Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness. – Harold Kushner
3. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. – Maya Angelou
4. Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile. – Albert Einstein
5. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others? – Martin Luther King Jr.
6. We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say “It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.” Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes. – Fred Rogers
7. The happiest people are those who do the most for others. The most miserable are those who do the least. – Booker T. Washington
8. You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. – John Wooden
9. At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in. – Mother Teresa
10. Life laughs at you when you are unhappy; Life smiles at you when you are happy; But life salutes you when you make others happy. – Charlie Chaplin
11. If we develop concern for other people’s welfare, share other people’s suffering, and help them, ultimately we will benefit. If we think only of ourselves and forget about others, ultimately we will lose. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. – Dalai Lama
12. No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another. – Charles Dickens

Quotes About Caring and Sharing

1. Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others. – William Arthur Ward
2. Life has taught me that respect, caring and love must be shared, for it’s only through sharing that friendships are born. – Donna A. Favors
3. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. – Dalai Lama

Quotes About Caring for Humanity

1. Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have. – Margaret Mead
2. As human beings, we each have a responsibility to care for humanity. Expressing concern for others brings inner strength and deep satisfaction. As social animals, human beings need friendship, but friendship doesn’t come from wealth and power, but from showing compassion and concern for others. – Dalai Lama
3. You really can change the world if you care enough. – Marian Wright Edelman
4. Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves. – Princess Diana
5. Caring – about people, about things, about life – is an act of maturity. – Tracy McMillan
6. I follow three rules: do the right thing, do your best, and always show people you care. – Lou Holtz
7. We are all in this world together, and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate among us. How we look after each other, not how we look after ourselves. That’s all that really matters, I think. – Tommy Douglas
8. It’s in our interest to take care of others. Self-centrednes s is opposed to basic human nature. In our own interest as human beings we need to pay attention to our inner values. Sometimes people think compassion is only of help to others, while we get no benefit. This is a mistake. When you concern yourself with others, you naturally develop a sense of self-confidence . To help others takes courage and inner strength. – Dalai Lama
9. If you’re in the luckiest one percent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 percent. – Warren Buffett
10. I choose bold. I choose action. I choose what’s right for the people. I choose to make a difference. – Bill Richardson
11. We can make this a more peaceful century if we cherish non-violence and concern for others’ well-being. It is possible. If the individual is happier, his or her family is happier; if families are happy, neighborhoods and nations will be happy. By transforming ourselves we can change our human way of life and make this a century of compassion. – Dalai Lama

Short Quotes on Caring for Others

1. Never be so busy as not to think of others. – Mother Teresa
2. Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. – Theodore Roosevelt
3. A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. – James Keller
4. The closest thing to being cared for is to care for someone else. – Carson McCullers
5. The simple act of caring is heroic. – Edward Albert
6. Politeness and caring for each other cannot be a thing of the past. – Peter Frampton
7. From caring comes courage. – Lao Tzu
8. The more you care, the stronger you can be. – Jim Rohn
9. I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance. – Pablo Casals
10. Live for yourself and you will live in vain; Live for others, and you will live again. – Bob Marley
11. Caring for others creates the spirit of a nation. – Pat Nixon
12. Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. – Simone Weil
13. Caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. – Hillary Clinton
14. Caring for others is the basis of worldly success. – Sakyong Mipham
15. Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person. – Jim Rohn
16. Come through for others and they will come through for you. – Denis Waitley
17. Civility is the art and act of caring for others. – Deborah King

Inspirational Words of Kindness

1. I know you can do anything you put your mind to.
2. I just want to remind you that you are enough.
3. You are a gift to everyone in your life. Never forget that.
4. Your ideas and opinions are important and they matter.
5. Your effort and hard work never go unnoticed. I hope you know that. 
6. You make a bigger impact than you realize.
7. Nothing can stop you.
8. I am a better person because of you.
9. It’s okay not to be okay.
10. You are doing awesome!
11. You are completely and unconditionally loved.
12. Stop beating yourself up.  You are a work in progress, which means you get there a little at a time, not all at once.

Words of Kindness for Children

1. I am so proud of you.
2. It’s okay to be sad, do you want to talk about it?
3. Always remember that I believe in you.
4. You’re going to be such a great (insert “what they want to be when they grow up” here) one day!
5. That’s such a good idea, tell me more.
6. It’s okay if you made a mistake. Mistakes are here to help us learn.
7. I know school has been hard but I believe in you.
8. I can tell you gave it your all.
9. Do you need any support for your homework tonight?
10. You make me float up like I’m on millions of bubbles.
11. You may have lost the game, but you never gave up. That makes you a winner in my book.
12. It’s okay to feel hurt, angry, scared, or however you’re feeling. It might seem impossible, but you won’t always feel the way you feel right now. Better days are just around the corner.

Can You Use Money to Achieve Happiness?

While the studies above just reiterate what we already know (money can make us happy but only to a certain extent), they fail to explore how happy people use their money. Happy people use money to achieve happiness while miserable people buy happiness. And there’s a distinct difference between the two.

So, if you somehow can’t feel a sense of satisfaction from your wealth, maybe you’re just not using your money the right way. Instead of buying happiness, here are some ways you can use your money to achieve happiness:

1. Focus on experiences.

As mentioned, material possessions aren’t the only things that can make us happy. If anything, it will just leave us miserable.

So instead of buying things, focus on experiences. Explore the world. Create memories with your loved ones. Go on a food trip. Take that vacation you’ve always dreamed about. 

Focusing on experiences may not increase your bank account or your investment portfolio but it will make you a lot happier.

2. Remember that the best things in life are free.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say this again, you don’t need to spend millions to be happy. The most precious things in the world can’t be bought by money. The laughter you share with your loved ones, the comforting hug of a friend, and the warmth of early morning sunrise – they all cost nothing. Yet, these are the moments that stay with us for a long time.

3. Learn to distinguish needs over wants.

Going after your wants will only make you want more which, in turn, will only lead to discontent and unhappiness. You don’t always need the latest phone or the nicest car. If you go after things like that, you’ll end up going after them for the rest of your life.

This is why it’s important to distinguish your needs from your wants. When you learn to focus on your needs, you learn to become content. You’ll learn to value the things that really matter.

4. Help others find happiness too.

Helping others bring a different kind of happiness than no amount of money can buy. So if you want to be truly happy, use your money to help others find their happiness too.

5. Share your blessings.

Sharing our blessings not only transforms other people’s lives. It transforms us too. It helps us develop a profound appreciation of our financial situation. In other words, it helps us find happiness in what we have rather than complain about what we lack.

Quotes That Will Remind You to Live in the Moment

1. The best thing about the future is that it only comes 1 day at a time. – Abraham Lincoln
2. The future depends on what you do today. – Mahatma Gandhi
3. Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed. – Wayne Dyer
4. Every moment you live in the past is a moment you waste in the present. – Tony Robbins
5. The living moment is everything. – David Herbert Lawrence
6. We live in the moment. We’re not thinking about the future right now. We’re not thinking about the past, you know. We’re living in this moment right here and it’s a sweet moment to live in. – Dwayne Wade
7. Live in the moment because you never know if it’s going to happen again. – Anonymous
8. Don’t rush anything. When the time is right, it’ll happen. – Buddha
9. The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it’s all we’ll need. – Ann Richards
10. Live every moment, love every day, cause before you know it, precious time slips away. – Reo Speedwagon
11. Most humans are never fully present in the now. Because unconsciously they believe that the next moment must be more important than this one. But then you miss your whole life, which is never not now. – Eckhart Tolle
12. Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. – Coreta Kent
13. If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath. – Amit Ray
14. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that nobody is here forever. You have to live for the moment, each and every day . . . the here, the now. – Simone Elkeles
15. The past is already gone, the future is not yet there. There’s only one moment for you to live. – Buddha
16. Life is a journey, not a destination. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
17. Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon. – Charles M. Schulz
18. Living in the moment, that’s the first step to Having. – Suh Yoon Lee
19. Life is not something we put on the backburner hoping to get to live further down the line. – Adiela Akoo
20. “What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.  “My favorite day,” said Pooh. – A.A. Milne
21. Some moments are happy. Some moments are sad. Live each moment. Embrace life! – Avijeet Das
22. Living in the present moment creates the experience of eternity. – Deepak Chopra
23. Don’t wait for a crisis to realize what matters most. Put yourself first right now. Because right now is all we have. – Brittany Burgunder
24. If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine. – Morris West
25. Don’t let the past steal your present. – Cherralea Morgan
26. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did. – Mark Twain
27. The meeting of two eternities, the past and the future… is precisely the present moment. – Henry David Thoreau

How to Live in the Moment Quotes and Sayings

1. Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift. – Oprah
2. It’s about living in the moment and appreciating the smallest things. Surrounding yourself with the things that inspire you and letting go of the obsessions that want to take over your mind. It is a daily struggle sometimes and hard work, but happiness begins with your own attitude and how you look at the world. – Gretchen Rubin
3. Do not stay in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate on the present moment. – Buddha
4. Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure. – Oprah
5. Don’t wait to be successful at some future point. Have a successful relationship with the present moment and be fully present in whatever you are doing. That is success. – Eckhart Tolle
6. Live in present, forget the past, and don’t worry about future. – Anonymous
7. Life is about dancing in the rain while the sun sings its music and the rainbows deliver hope. It is in being totally and fully present with ourselves, that we can live a whole lifetime in a single moment. – Mimi Novic
8. Wake up to a brand new day and realize why you woke up to meet the day! Live to the end of another day and understand why you lived in the day! – Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
9. Don’t cry over the past, it’s gone. Don’t stress about the future, it hasn’t arrived. Live in the present and make it beautiful. – Buddha
10. We spend precious hours fearing the inevitable. It would be wise to use that time adoring our families, cherishing our friends and living our lives. – Maya Angelou
11. If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in that way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. – MJ Ryan
12. Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour. – Walt Whitman
13. Dance. Smile. Giggle. Marvel. TRUST. HOPE. LOVE. WISH. BELIEVE. Most of all, enjoy every moment of the journey, and appreciate where you are at this moment instead of always focusing on how far you have to go. – Mandy Hale
14. Happiness is achieved when you stop waiting for your life to begin and start making the most of the moment you are in. – Germany Kent
15. Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today. Inhabit your moments. Don’t rent them out to tomorrow. – Jerry Spinelli
16. Overthinking will not empower you over things that are beyond your control. So, let it be if it is meant to be and cherish the moment. – Mahsati A.
17. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
18. You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. – Henry David Thoreau
19. Look at everything always as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time: Thus is your time on earth filled with glory. – Betty Smith
20. The point is to be in the moment, not miss the moment while trying to capture it. – Sheralyn Pratt
21. We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it.  But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it. – John Newton
22. Live in the moment, where everything is just right, take your time and limit your bad memories and you’ll get wherever it is you’re going a lot faster and with less bumps in the road along the way. – J.A. Redmerski
23. Live quietly in the moment and see the beauty of all before you. The future will take care of itself. – Paramahansa Yogananda
24. Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand – and melting like a snowflake. – Francis Bacon
25. Act in the moment, live in the present, slowly slowly don’t allow the past to interfere, and you will be surprised that life is such an eternal wonder, such a mysterious phenomenon and such a great gift that one simply feels constantly in gratitude. – Osho
26. Life is short, and if we enjoy every moment of every day, then we will be happy no matter what happens or what changes along the way. – Gretchen Bleiler
27. Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Breault