A friend of mine commented the other day how my habit of returning shopping carts to the store (or, at least, the cart collection area) drove him nuts... and I usually grab a loose cart from the parking lot on my way and take it back with me.

That habit began one sunny Southern California afternoon, when I started to turn into a parking space, only to find FOUR carts sitting in the middle of the spot I was angling into. I should mention that this parking spot was close to the cart area. By "close," I mean there were TWO parking spaces between the one the carts were blocking, and the cart area. A total of maybe a dozen steps, round trip, for some shopper, that wouldn't take more then six or seven seconds to complete... maybe ten seconds; I'll be generous.

I got out of my car, moved all four of the carts out of the way, parked, and took three of the offending carts back to the cart area, taking the fourth with me to the store. Instead of fuming about how lazy and inconsiderate other shoppers were... well, OK, I did some of that, too... I made the decision to "leave the world a better place than I found it."

Leadership is by example, and this was a simple solution to the problem. Whenever I go somewhere, I always see things that should have been done, and I take a few seconds from my day to do a few of those things... leaving the world a better place than I found it.

Here's another example (albeit slightly more extreme): I was in a WalMart last Christmas Eve, doing some last-minute shopping. When I stopped to look through the $5 DVD bin, it was a mess! Wanting to be thorough (and not pick up the same disc 14 times), I started straightening out the bin as I looked at what was there. I wasn't sorting them so all the copies of, say, Hope Floats, were together. I was just lining them all up neatly, with the titles facing the same direction, so fellow shoppers could scan the titles quickly and easily... saving everybody time during the holiday rush. Someone asked if I worked for WalMart, and I said, "No. I'm just leaving the world a better place than I found it." Again, The Mantra.

It has occurred to me that, if everyone did little things (and raised their children to follow their excellent example), this world could be a terrific place. It wouldn't even need to be everyone, just a critical mass of people (though I would hope shame would drive the remainder to follow suit, my cynicism prevents me from expecting that).

• Instead of stepping over or around that piece of trash, pick it up and put it in a trash can. You can carry some disposable plastic gloves (the kind food preparers use - available at Smart & Final, WalMart, and maybe Sam's Club or Costco) or some wet naps for your hands.
• Take your own (and one or two other) shopping carts back to the store or cart collection area. Don't leave them loose in the parking lot.
• Hold the door for someone with his or her hands full.
• Say, "please," "thank you," and "you're welcome."
• Stop and give someone directions when they're backing up their car.
• Return loose items in the supermarket to their proper locations.
• If you have 48 items in your cart, and someone gets in line behind you with three, let them go first.

The list is endless. Every day, you see things that somebody should have done, but didn't. Take ten seconds and do them. No, you won't get paid for it. No, you won't get kudos or a pat on the back. Yes, you will feel good about having done the right thing. Yes, you will feel good about helping to make a better world. Who knows? Maybe someone will see you and follow your example. Maybe enough people will join the movement to attain that critical mass of which I spoke earlier. Maybe the world could be a better place, for all of us. Many hands make light work, as my grandmother used to say.

Official legal-type stuff: Please feel free to copy this blog and repost it. My only request is that you give proper attribution and include a link to this blog:

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"Realism tells me I cannot fix the entire world. Idealism drives me to clean up my little corner of it."

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke

The Floor Is Open.