Kindness isn’t just something you show to someone because they deserve it. Mercy, compassion, forgiveness, these are all things we show to others because we find those traits in our own hearts. You can’t show or receive kindness, mercy, compassion, forgiveness, unless you have them inside you to give.
I’ve come to a point in life where I no longer feel rejected or upset when I show kindness to someone and they don’t reciprocate. I know beyond a doubt, there is someone behind that unkindness. Something has happened to that person that makes them unkind, something perhaps, beyond my comprehension. I think that this type of knowledge, this understanding that there’s always more to a person than what they portray on the outside helps me be more kind, compassionate, merciful, forgiving.
There was a time I stayed in my own little shell because I’ve always been a little too kind perhaps, and I used to get my heart broken by unkind people. But as I’ve grown in my writing, photography, studying of people, nature, etc. I’ve come to realize there’s so much more. If I don’t follow my inner self that is kind, if I keep all that bottled up because I’m scared to show it, then I die slowly inside. I become cold, unkind, unloving, unmerciful, someone I never want to be.
So on this “National Kindness Day,” give it a shot. Show kindness, not just to someone you know is kind themselves, but to someone who doesn’t deserve it. Someone who’s hurt you or been unkind to you. Maybe a store clerk who always has a frown on their face, maybe one of your customers that always complains. I’m not saying to let people walk on you, I’m just saying perhaps if you listen to your intuition, you’ll know. You’ll just know who needs it, and you’ll just always exude this attitude of kindness, it draws people to you, people want to be around kindness. Be the light in a dark room.
Cause I’m not there yet, but perhaps, Soon Enuff…