The managers of our complex have never been very good at caring for the property. Those of us living here have often complained about the lack of attention they pay to the needs of residents.

  Recently, we noticed the cleaners who are supposed to spruce up the outer hall of our building hadn’t arrived in weeks. Because of this, it was looking filthy; and people were automatically tracking more dirt and debris into their homes. Instead of getting upset that somebody else hadn’t done their job and judging them for it, I decided to do a simple cleaning myself with my own broom. It wasn’t much, but it’s a vast improvement. I even cleaned spots they don’t usually bother to clean, like the windowsills and the cobwebs in corners near the ceiling.

Not matter what you have, you should take pride in it. If you want your environment to improve, you can’t sit around waiting for someone else to do the work. You have to make your own contribution – not because you’re trying to be better than everybody else, but because you live here, too. We are all responsible for the part we play in the current state of the world. Even those of us who have made big lifestyle changes didn’t always feel the way we do now. We also grew up with the notion that pollution of the world, our minds, and our relationships was normal, never considering the impact of our own words, actions, emotions, and self-absorption.

If you want to be the better change in the world, you don’t start with the public face. You start with yourself. You start with your relationship with yourself, which then promotes changes in how you treat your family, friends, and co-workers. If you want to respect the environment, start with your own. It’s the little things you do which affect not only you but everyone who views you, as well. So many people are lost in their devices in order to shut out depression, anxiety, and their own shadow; but when they see someone who’s taken the time to care, it can begin a shift that might one day change their whole world. When you work from love and respect, anything is possible.

• E.W.