Where I live in the New England, we were just socked with a huge snowstorm that buried us in a deep white blanket. At times like these, neighbors get out and help neighbors, and there is a sense of camaraderie - a feeling that we are all in this together.

This weekend, I really enjoyed walking around noticing all of the support people were giving each other. And I must say, the timing of this storm was just right for me: it tied in beautifully with something I have been thinking about over the past couple weeks: How we regard and treat our fellow travelers on this journey. 

What if every day could be like a snowday? Imagine that every day we treated even strangers as family - a family of humans "all in this together". From my perspective, this doesn't have to just be feel-good fantasy. If we choose to live this way, it can actually become our reality!

I like to think that we are naturally inclined to be consistently kind and supportive to all the people around us; that we really would do so all the time if it weren't for the challenging circumstances that can sometimes get in the way. We live in a very stressful, hectic, and at times disconnected culture. It seems to me we are becoming more and more separated from each other by technology and other aspects of modern life. But this separation is reversible if we want it to be. We can make it happen one person at a time by each of us choosing small positive actions that set a tone for others around us.

Consider this month's Tune-Up your public service announcement for being good to each other!

• Thank people for all the nice things they do, from tiny to large. Someone who bags your groceries, someone who goes out of their way to be friendly, someone who is helpful but often "flies under the radar" unnoticed. Remembering to simply say "thank you" goes a long way.
   
• Cut people a break, including yourself. It's a demanding, fast-paced culture and we want to get things done, so sometimes we get impatient when things don't go exactly as we'd planned. Nothing is so important on the "to do list" such that we forget we are all human. Go easy on one another - and, it should go without saying - on yourself
    
• Open up to others. Allow yourself to be known. When we share our own story with others, we let them into our world which is a gift! Our guard is lowered and our realness comes out. Having true exchanges with others means coming together in an honest and meaningful way.
   
• Remember that we all have our struggles and our histories. Try to think of this when you don't understand someone's behavior. This person in front of you may be working hard over time to change for the better, and like all of us, is a work in progress.
   
• Share a laugh and some goofiness! Be playful! Sometimes we can all be way too serious about everything. Spontaneous humor melts tension, creates connection, and is just so darn fun!

For a little more inspiration on this topic, check out this little video from CBS News. It put a smile on my face this past weekend, and I hope it will do the same for you.

                                                 Click here to view video

Your challenge for this month: Think about the topic of creating a culture of support, openness, and empathy. What is one small (or even large) action you could take in this direction even if you think you already are fully doing so. Make a plan or a pact with another person to put this action in place at least for the rest of this month. At the end of the month, write up your observations about them and decide where you want to go from there.

When you've completed the challenge email me to let me know what you're learning. As always, I would love to hear from you!