Just kidding ;) I’ve always wanted to try saying that once.

Today was… less different from most days than I had expected it to be. I was just more conscious of my actions. I found myself thinking things like, “hey, in this situations, I should…” and then realizing “hey, that’s what I would normally do!” It seems I’ve already incorporated a lot of Akari’s teachings into my everyday life, so this experiment isn’t a huge shift for me behavior-wise.

It was interesting, however, to explore how my style of interacting affected those around me.

I think I made people smile today. Maybe I do every day. I was aware of it today. It was kind of overwhelming @_@

Oh, and Sasa was right: money and sex. I had to do some un-wonderful things today like negotiating wages for my job for the next five months. Maybe it’s not inherently un-wonderful but I just feel so awkward and nasty when I’m asking people a price. So yeah, that wasn’t great. On the other hand it’s pretty wonderful that these people want me to work for them, and they’re so nice and lively. It’s a great work environment at the LBL communications department, and I’d be honored to be able to continue there for another five months.

You know. So long as I make enough money. Real world. Out there. Etc.

Most of today I wasn’t in direct contact with people (cubicle job does that to ya) but when I saw people (bus drivers, other lab employees in hallways and elevators and cafeteria), I did my best to greet them cheerfully. Actually, this one guy saw me from a few yards away and greeted me, first! It’s amazing what keeping my head up does. I’m used to looking at the ground. Bad habit from middle school and 9-10th grades, I guess. When you look up at people and face them, interaction occurs. This guy smiled and said hi. I responded in kind. It was pretty wonderful.

After work, I went over to a friend’s place with one of my older brothers. We played a board game and there was some of the usual playful trash-talk. I suppose that that wasn’t so wonderful if one were to examine the words alone, but it was pretty great overall—we don’t get together so often, we had a lot of fun, we were intimate and lively.

Oh! And after lunch in the lab cafeteria I accompanied some of my darling kouhai to a food court just beneath the lab where a couple of them got cheap and tasty food. That was a good excuse to get away from my cubicle and enjoy the weather! The sky was very blue and crisp and it was warm out, perfect for enjoying the Berkeley flora.

Things I could have done better today:
- more public transportation
- less consideration of money

I think overall I did well. I was smiling genuinely most of the day (wow, I catch it from myself and can’t stop) and I made about twenty “sutekiiiii” comments to myself. I don’t think I upset anyone and I had a fantastic time with some great folks. I’m looking forward to how the rest of this month turns out.

The idea is this: for one month (through August 31st), I will attempt to use what “wonderful power” I might have and act like a better human being. The premise is clear; our world is one that simply is not wonderful. There is war, there is disease, there are issues of resource control and discrimination, there is religious conflict, etc. In this world that is not the heaven of Neo-Venezia, is it possible to be the kind and loving human being that Mizunashi Akari is?

She's wishing for your happiness.

My hypothesis is no.

But one of the interesting things here will be seeing what triggers cause me to stop being wonderful. What in my life can pierce a shell of wonderfulness and irritate me? What can make me want to yell, or lie, or hurt others?

And then: why do those triggers exist? Can anything be done about them? What if more people tried this experiment? What if people in general were simply more courteous and kind and loving?

In order to attain answers to these questions, and in order to brighten our own lives and those of the people who surround us, icystorm and I are beginning this experiment. We would like to invite (everyone) to join in. We have some guidelines on how to proceed, but you don’t need to follow them—simply being kind to those around you is a wonderful first step, and if our experiment inspires you to try that, that’s already amazingly good.

Here are our guidelines:

1. document un-wonderful behavior
If, during this experiment, you do something that irritates someone else or yourself, record it in a blog post (I’ll be doing daily updates when possible). If applicable, investigate why your behavior was abrasive, and how you might act differently in the future.

2. document close calls
If, during this experiment, you think negative thoughts or catch yourself right before yelling at someone etc., record it in a blog post. If applicable, investigate why you were upset, and how you might avoid becoming such in the future.

3. don’t give up if you do something mean or un-wonderful
This experiment is not a competition. The point isn’t to see how far you can get. The point is to be the best you can. If you do something un-wonderful, record it a la Guideline #1, and attempt to avoid it in the future. You’re still “in the game”—one failure is not a reason to give up on kindness.

4. avoid debates and arguments
Even the most civil arguments are, at their cores, conflicts. While these are unavoidable from time to time, you don’t really need to butt into that one “most moe character of summer 2008″ forum thread, do you? Avoid conflict where you can. Having strong opinions is one thing and expressing them is another; only do the latter if it won’t bug others.

5. greet people
If you walk by someone on a sidewalk, smile and say hi. Greeting others is a basic courtesy that few practice these days. By acknowledging others’ existences and importances in your own life, you make yourself more important to them. This is how Akari makes her friends (see: Episode 10 of the Natural). If you smile at someone, they might not smile back—but they might smile at someone else later, or at you if you ever see them again.

6. make wonderful observations
A minimum of once per day, note that something is wonderful or lovely. This can be a thought to yourself or a remark to someone nearby. “The world is wonderful in the eyes of wonderful people,” says Alicia (Aria the Animation, Episode 6).

We considered more guidelines, but they either fall under #1-2 or are just plain silly.

If you’d like to participate in this experiment, following all guidelines, consider making a similar Day 0 post on your blog. Inform your readers of your goals and encourage others to do the same. We’re not trying to start a movement or a revolution—we just want to try being nice and see where it gets us.