It really is quite simple.
At least in my mind it is.
A lot of things could be made much better if we all just practiced a little kindness every day.
I get tired of all of the negativity and if you are like me it seems that the news bombards us daily with all of the bad in the world.
The ongoing aggressive political climate, the hate speech, the discrimination and now the government shut down which affects so many people including my nephew. It is enough to make me scream at times. Or stick my head in the sand.
So when I find an article that exudes kindness it makes me happy.
I found the article The Power of Kindness by Jeff Haden (link at end of post) on Linked In and immediately clicked on it to read more. The article talks about a businessman who went out of his way to show some appreciation. No one asked him to do it. No one realized that by doing the act of kindness it put him behind schedule for the rest of the day. No one really understood that his small gesture was in fact a massive gesture for the people that he showed his appreciation to.
It is easy to show appreciation for folks who go out of their way in a big way . Those folks get our attention and thanks. But what about the people who make a difference every single day without expecting or receiving a thank you or sometimes even an acknowledgement?
My parents always taught me to be appreciative and that was one thing that Chris and I tried to demonstrate and model for our own sons. It does not matter if it is the hotel maid, the teenager who does odd jobs, the older gentleman who opens the door for me or the store owner who sacrifices time and time again to ensure that their customers have a great experience. These are the people that we need to be kind to.
These are the people that we need to bend over backwards for and acknowledge.
It all starts with just a little bit of kindness.
It could be simply a smile.
Kindness begins at home. I think I will go let me husband know that I appreciate the way he has been present for me lately in so many ways right when I needed him.
How about you? How can you practice kindness today? It just takes one person to start the ripple of kindness.
