Gary Vaynerchuk—entrepreneur, author, investor, and consummate vlogger—has been on a fascinating jag recently. Between running his media business, launching his sports empire, doing the public speaking thing, and laser focusing his digital marketing strategies, he has been talking about his goal to make good traits alpha. In a recent interview, he was quoted as saying: “I want to make empathy, gratitude, and kindness cool as fuck.”

Damn, but it’s about time bigger voices took up this gauntlet! Because sometimes it seems to me that the impulse to do the right thing is sacrificed on the altar of expedience or greed. In so many ways, our world has become so excessively commercialized. We have elevated the quest for money, popularity, and external validation to new heights. The upshot is that too many people are willing to blow through their ethical boundaries to grab the brass ring.

We see this played out in business, politics, and personal life. Stories of corporate misconduct at the expense of consumers abound. Public policy issues that would once have been resolved by debate now feature screaming matches between intractable egos. And individuals now find themselves bombarded with a constant barrage of messages to prove their worth by flashing cash or skin, rather than by displaying kindness, empathy, or gratitude.

It starts with you and me

If all that paints a dire picture, though, I apologize because that’s not what I’m trying to do. If anything, I’m just setting the backdrop that I believe will serve as our catalyst to change. We all know how pendulums swing—perhaps we needed to cant too far in the wrong direction before we could correct our path.

That’s why the timing is currently perfect to turn the tides of self-absorption by recommitting to values that have the capacity to uplift the many, rather than simply enriching the few. As the inimitable Gary V said, it’s time to make empathy, gratitude, and kindness cool as fuck.

This starts with you and me, and the hundred little decisions we make each day. Consider this: instead of honking at the next person who cuts you off in traffic, make a conscious effort to extend kindness. Maybe they’re in a rush. Maybe they’re from out of town. Or maybe they really have committed to a pattern of aggressiveness. If so, why would you compound it by responding with aggression? Change the pattern instead!

Rather than escalating an argument with someone who holds an opposing belief, try to find out what led them to that belief. Maybe you’ll see a side of the issue you never considered. Maybe they’ll begin to understand your point of view too. Or maybe you really do have a fundamental difference in opinion. If so, anger and disdain won’t resolve it. Perhaps you can simply agree to disagree.

Or how about this? Instead of posting cruel jokes or unsubstantiated rumours on social media—or liking those types of stories when someone else posts them—why not share stories that celebrate human achievement or connection? Imagine what would happen if the posts that got the most “likes” were the ones that featured acts of kindness and gratitude. Maybe that would be enough to encourage a whole new generation of kids of seek validation by proving how kind they are, rather than how hot they are. (I know. Tall order. You may say I’m a dreamer…).

This kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. Beliefs, behaviours, and ingrained patterns take time to shift. So the sooner we start to change our own behaviours, the sooner we can inspire those around us to change as well. To make empathy, kindness, and gratitude supreme, we need to lead by example. The groundswell starts with us. Are you in?