"I figured out how to use this software on my own. Nobody ever showed me what to do around here, so you can just find out for yourself."

Are you an office Grinch? Do you cast a cloud over the cubicles with your bad attitude? Is your world so dog-eat-dog that you can’t spare a kind word or gesture toward a colleague? Do you figure that, since you see the world as uncaring and all its inhabitants as unkind, that you have to protect yourself and what's yours? Well, as Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." What's great about that? It's something that's actually in your control! And what better time to try it than this holiday season?

Tip: Pretend you’re a jolly elf

Use this season of sharing and grace to try on a new persona of generosity. Make it a point to do an unsolicited kindness for someone in your workplace every day, whether by sharing an office survival tip, explaining a confusing procedure or offering a smile from out of the blue. Don’t wait for someone to do something nice for you first; who’s going to, since you’re such a crab? Graciousness is giving without concern for receiving.

You’ll probably find yourself getting a little payback you hadn’t expected – you’ll feel pretty good about the positive energy you’re generating, and you may just be a catalyst that helps create a more pleasant, fulfilling workplace.