Be Clean

We all want to see the world be a better place. I have had the opportunity to travel and live in rich areas and in poor places. Of the places, Switzerland is one of the most beautiful. But what makes Switzerland beautiful?

The engine of a 100-year-old working Swiss paddle boat. The engine appears to be new, but it isn’t. It’s just clean. They don’t have to keep it that clean. I don’t think anyone would really care, but it’s a symbol of their taking responsibility and doing the best that they can.

Cleanliness Makes Things Prettier

When we look at the world, we want to see it be better, but what does that mean? Why are some places better than others? One of the main reasons that people love Switzerland is that it’s clean. When people go to Switzerland, this is one of the top things that they say. The houses are clean. The streets are clean. The stores are clean. The public transportation is clean.

It’s Not About Money

Sometimes people think the reason one community is nicer than another is money. I don’t think that having money causes cleanliness; Cleanliness promotes a higher quality of life. Part of what makes Switzerland beautiful is that people take care of their homes and keep them clean. They keep their stores clean. They keep their trains clean.

I have seen people move from poorer communities to richer ones, hoping that they can now live a better life, and while there may be some improvements, their lives are still pretty much the same as where they came from. They bring their attitude with them. They live just like where they used to live. They bring their old standards with them.

While the Swiss government does invest more energy into keeping things clean, a large part of Switzerland, like any other country, is private property. People keep their property, their stores, their homes, and their cars clean.

Switzerland has a lot of low-income people, but their quality of life is much higher.

The World Out There

We want to see a better world. We like seeing more nature. We like seeing when the homes in our neighborhood are nice. We like when the man-made stuff is better. But to other people, we are the world out there. We are one of the pieces of their world. So we want to make our lives more beautiful so we can make the world more beautiful for others. And this is something that we can do unilaterally.

If Everyone Made Their Home Nicer

Look out your window, and ask if the world would be better if your neighbors were cleaner? Be the clean neighbor.

A Swiss laundry room. This is the actual laundry room in one of the places I stayed. The cleaning person had not been there in a while. All people simply make sure to leave it better than when they got there. I got scolded the first time I did laundry because I left too much hair in the dryer. They were polite about it, but I didn’t do that again.

Take Responsibility

People often want to blame others for the mess, but this is one of the prime differences in thinking. between the clean and not-so-clean. The clean people not only do not litter so much, but they also pick up the trash of others. Many people say, “It’s not my mess.” Make it your mess, and stop blaming.

People blame their landlord. They blame their neighbors. They blame time. Cleanliness is free. You are attitude is making it difficult. Maybe you feel short on time or energy.

Change begins with you. Change begins with me. I am going to try to be clean and make the world better for others.

Improve Your Quality of Life

Being clean will improve your quality of life in many ways. First, one of the reasons people are not clean is that they feel like it’s dirty or takes too much energy. But finding the energy and keeping clean are positive life skills. Being clean builds humility. Being more organized makes it easier to be productive and accomplish your goals. Being clean makes it easier to see the positives in your life. Being clean helps your mind be clean and stress-free.

I was a Boy Scout, and the motto was “Be prepared.” Cleanliness and that motto have served me.

Save Money

Being cleaner saves you money. A huge reason for maintenance issues is a lack of care. Clothes, cars, and homes all last longer when they are cared for.

Who Would You Hire?

Imagine that you were a business owner or a boss, maybe you already are. Maybe you just want to hire someone to do something in your life: a doctor, a contractor, or a mechanic. Who do you want to hire? Do you want to hire the dirty, disorganized, and unkept person? You want to hire someone who is responsible and who is going to make you look good. A clean person is both ot those things. Be the person that others would want to hire.

If you’re a landlord, who do you want to live in your place? Who are you likely to keep rent low for? Who are you likely to fix things for?

I once heard a study of the restaurants with the best food, and they made two conclusions about how to tell which restaurants were nice and which were not. The number one predictor of good food was a clean bathroom. The other was how long the staff had worked there.

Raise Your Standards

Many people think they are clean, but their standards of cleanliness are very low. Keep your house clean every day. Clean your dishes immediately after you eat. Keep your bathroom clean. Keep your car clean. Keep your closet clean. Keep your kitchen counters clean. Be better. Good enough is not good enough. Change your sheets at least once a week. Keep your clothes washed. Pick up after others. Be clean in your appearance. Dress nicer. Elevate yourself and your life.

Make the World a Better Place

The aim of what I am saying here is not to blame others; it is to say that we can do better, and it’s a reminder to myself first and foremost that I can do better. I hope that others will join me. We can do better. Let’s make our country the most beautiful country.