The 25 Rules of Considerate Behavior

by Dr. P.M. Forni, Author of "Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Behavior"

1. Pay Attention                                   16.     Apologize Earnestly

2.  Acknowledge Others                       17.     Assert Yourself

3.  Think the Best                                 18.     Avoid Personal Questions

4.  Listen                                              19.     Care for Your Guests

5.  Be Inclusive                                     20.     Be a Considerate Guest

6.  Speak Kindly                                   21.     Think Twice Before Asking for favors

7.  Don’t Speak Ill                                 22.     Refrain from Idle Complaints

8.  Accept & Give Praise                       23.     Accept and Give Constructive

                                                                        Criticism

9.  Respect Even a Subtle “No”           

                                                             24.     Respect the Environment and Be

10. Respect Others’ Opinions                         Gentle to Animals 

11. Mind Your Body                              25.     Don’t Shift Responsibility and Blame

         

12. Be Agreeable  

                    

13. Keep it Down

     (and Rediscover Silence)

14.  Respect Other People’s Time

15. Respect Other People’s  Space

Civility at School

Take pride in your school by being a considerate and helpful individual. Practice the following and create a successful experience for you, your Principal, teachers, classmates and everyone else involved.

1. Begin your school day with a nourishing breakfast that energizes your body and mind.

2. Save time and prevent a 'morning rush'; prepare for your school days at night:

• Choose the clothes you want to wear and examine them for needed repairs
• Gather together all homework and related materials
• Get plenty of sleep (8 hours or more)

3. Respect and follow the rules of your school. They're in place to make your learning environment safe and pleasant.

4. Take pride in your school environment which includes hallways, offices, classrooms, the Clinic, Cafeteria, Library, Gym, surrounding grounds and even school buses. Do your part to keep these and other public areas neat and clean.

5. Practice good study habits and be responsible for all assigned work.

6. Encourage civil actions through your own behavior.

7. Everyone has something of value to share so listen to the words of others, especially those in authority.

8. Be contagious; set a good example of school spirit with your friends and anyone else within reach.

9. Get excited about learning new stuff. Applaud yourself for what you've added to your brain and to your spirit. Then share what you know with others so you can all get excited, smarter, and more civil together.

Practice Civility every day through acts of kindness and respect like the ones displayed here.

Do your part to help spread Civility throughout your school's community.

Get permission to display these tips but most of all, follow them.

For more on Civility Awareness Month,  Go here

Promote Civility at Work through Blissful Leadership

Become more than a traditional leader. Become the BLISSFUL leader who practices civility every day with

5 Steps to Blissful Leadership

1. Knowledge - More than just knowing you job and the responsibility that goes along with it, the Blissful way to knowledge is through knowing yourself. Through self-knowledge, you find out what you're capable of. With knowledge comes understanding. You understand the kind of leader you are, the kink you are perceived to be, and the kind you want to be.

2. Vision - More than just looking forward, vision is also about seeing things as they really are. Seeing challenges as opportunities. Seeing mistakes as learning tools. Vision for Blissful Leadership is about focusing on your strengths and the ability to map out a direction toward opportunities.

3. Integrity - This involves doing what you know is right, based on your beliefs and values. People often confuse integrity with honesty. Writer, Spencer Johnson says, "Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people." Integrity is what you know to be true and honest and behaving as such, whether anyone sees you or not.

4. Creativity - Creativity allows you to imagine possibilities. Tap into your creativity to:

• Create programs of interest
• Channel and pool the energy of your teammates
• Solve unexpected issues with resourceful solutions
• Strengthen your individualism and express ideas freely
• Create enthusiasm, inspire support and motivate disillusioned groups of people

5. Time - This involves time management in the traditional sense of schedules, appointments, projects and plans; but it also involves the ability to manage the elements of time to deal with what is happening in the present time and place. Keep your attention on your 'present' and when situations appear, take care of them issue by issue -- moment by moment.

Spread civility and share your thoughts and ideas below.

For more on Civility Awareness Month,  Go here