Be Kind, Always.

Be kind, always.
Be kind, always.
Be kind, always.

I think as we get older, we forget that we need to be kind. Always. Working in different job sectors – non-profit, independent contractor, and retail – there is one thing I see every day, all day, any day. And that is unkind people.

Sometimes we call them rude. Sometimes we call them hell monsters. Sometimes we call them entitled. But honestly, they plainly are unkind. You know which ones I speak of. They will look down on you, talk down on you, make you feel down on yourself. They are the individuals who will bully you or guilt trip you into getting what they want. Sometimes they scream. Sometimes they cuss. Sometimes they mask pleasantries with insults (backhanded compliments).

But why can’t people just be kind?

Everyone is struggling. We don’t know what their struggle is, but everyone struggles. An example, I struggle. I struggle with anxiety, stress, and depression. Every interaction is important to me. But if that interaction ends poorly, I ruminate and sulk. When the next interaction goes wrong again, I repeat. At the end of the day, when all I’ve had are shitty interactions, I curl up in a ball and depression monster comes at me with a vengeance.

But what if the people in those shitty interactions simply remembered to be kind? The shitty interactions turn into a good interactions that I can proudly keep as good memories. Those good feelings get stored and I get to keep the depression monster at bay. My struggle is no longer a struggle when people are kind.

Time and time again, we forget to be kind. We forget that people struggle. And we forget that sometimes their struggle is something we can’t see.

So please, be kind, always. You have the power to turn things around for someone, simply by being kind.

‘Til the next time.
– E