Southern California is a Mecca for shallow people.

Every day I hear people around me whining about the new laptop they can’t live without or how their soy mocha latte didn’t have enough foam. They feel sorry for their friends with ugly cars but they won’t give fifty cents to a homeless person.

Here's a thought.... Stop feeling sorry for the guy who has only 1 television at home and start feeling sorry for the guy who doesn’t have the sense to turn his damn TV off! Stop worrying about how many “friends” you have on MySpace (most of which you will never actually meet) and introduce yourself to the people living next to you.

Some of the happiest, most appreciative people I have ever known are living in Cuba with dirt floors and no running water. And yet, some of the most miserable people I have met are living in one to two million dollar homes in Newport and Laguna Beach.

Sure you can revel in the majesty of your ninety thousand dollar BMW and the new tits you just bought your wife. Keep eating that fast food and when your pants stop fitting just get lipo. After all, you can't be expected to exercise when you've got that new bar to check out in LA. Oh, and be sure to enjoy your first heart attack for your fortieth birthday.

Or maybe you can step back, take a good look at your life and realize that the most valuable things you have aren’t for sale. Learn to value things like your family, your health, your community. Understand that your real wealth isn't defined by tangible things. You may never lay down at night feeling Egyptian cotton, but at least you’ll feel content.

Now I realize that change isn't easy. I struggle almost every day in my attempt to become a better person. So, in an effort to help all you So-Cal locals out there, I thought I'd give you a daily To Do List:

• For every two text messages you send someone, say hello to one person who walks past you.
• Appreciate organic things. Instead of paying an extra fifty cents for a higher grade of gasoline, spend it on milk that isn't full of chemicals.
• When you meet someone, look them in the eye and shake their hand.
• Turn off your cell phone when spending time with a friend.
• Give someone the benefit of the doubt.
• Smile, even if you have no reason to.

As you can see, nothing on that list is difficult to do or time consuming. The only remotely difficult thing about the list is remembering to do it. So give it a try. If you don't see a positive change in your life after a week or two, let me know. I'll send you a Starbucks coupon for your trouble and you can get back to business as usual.