Be other people’s biggest fan. Support them. Encourage them. Root for them to succeed.

You should never root for someone to fail, even if that person happens to be someone you’re competing against.

The easiest example I can think of is sports.

People will say, “I hate the Red Sox.” Or they’ll take it even further and say they hate a specific player on the Red Sox.

First, we shouldn’t hate anyone. And second, how can you actually hate someone simply because of the team they play for?

I’m all for being passionate about your team. Root like heck for them to win. Celebrate when they do. Be disappointed when they don’t. But I think there is a difference between rooting for your team to succeed and rooting for someone else to fail.

And I think that goes way beyond sports.

You can want the promotion without hoping your coworker doesn’t get it. You can want to win without hoping your opponent fails. You can chase your own goals without being jealous when someone else reaches theirs.

I also think you’ll find life is a lot more enjoyable when you spend your energy rooting for people instead of rooting against them.

Along those same lines, I think we need to remember how much hard work goes into success.

Whether we’re talking about winning a game, getting a promotion, landing a new job, or reaching a personal goal, there is usually a whole lot that went into getting there that we never saw.

So if you do lose, don’t hate on the other side for winning. You know your story. You know how hard you worked. But remember, there is probably a whole other story on the other side.

You can be disappointed that you lost and still be happy for the person who won.

Sometimes that’s hard to do.

In addition to all of this, I think people have become way too comfortable airing their displeasure with other people on social media.

Whether it’s a famous person, an athlete, a coworker, or Billy down the street, somehow, we’ve gotten to a point where people think it’s OK to publicly tear someone apart because they disagree with them.

I don’t think that’s right.

Whether someone has a million followers or lives three houses down from you, they’re still a person.

If you have a problem with someone, I think there is a much better way to handle it.

Talk to them. Have the conversation privately. Explain why you’re upset. Listen to their side. You may still completely disagree when the conversation is over, and that’s OK.

Not every disagreement needs an audience. Not every problem needs a Facebook post. And not every person who does something you disagree with needs to be publicly attacked because of it.

Which brings me to probably the hardest part of all of this.

Forgive.

Man, that can be a hard one.

When someone hurts you, disappoints you, says something about you, or does something you believe is wrong, our natural reaction can be to hold onto it.

I’m not saying you have to keep putting yourself in situations with someone who continually hurts you. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you can’t have boundaries.

But you can forgive them. You can move forward.

And really, that brings everything back to where I started.

Root for others.

Root for your friends.

Root for your coworkers.

Root for the people you’re competing against.

Heck, root for the people you don’t necessarily like.

So I will leave you with this. Call someone you wronged and apologize and call someone who wronged you and forgive them. Use your phone for good and make the world better one person at a time.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger… Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” ~ Ephesians 4:31-32