How many times have you thought we need more kindness in the world? Or I want to work with kind people. I wish I encountered more kindness every day. You may have thought why are people so tense or mean? Or you may have seen outrageous behavior of people on the news or social media. When people are stressed, divided and at their lowest on energy, kindness doesn’t normally rank very high on the list of things to do. We live in a time when people don’t have the same capacity they did in the past. People are in survival mode emotionally, physically, energetically and financially. A lot of people are defensive and are expecting to be criticized or yelled at. Why? Because it happens, we live in extreme times. It’s not normal. And people have been in this state of energy for years. So how can we start to shift our energy to create and receive more kindness? How can we make this a priority in our lives and in the world?
If you talk to anyone that works in the service industry, I am sure they have so many stories of customer behavior. Unfortunately, most of the stories they remember are not good encounters. It could be a customer being short with the waitress. An impatient person that criticizes a teenage cashier trying to learn the system. Customers may demand a lot while having little empathy for a small business owner’s limitation. People take actions or words personally while having little time, energy, patience or capacity for kindness. And on the flip side, we can see and hear stories of customers not being treated with respect. Being yelled at to get in the next line, move along (don’t even get me started on security at the airport). Being talked to as a child or criminal and not an adult. And little empathy given for situations that might require a bit more care or a customer with special needs.
In all the examples above it didn’t matter if you were the waitress or the customer or the business owner or the purchaser. Kindness is not on the top of the list when people are tired, exhausted and have little to no patience. Then when we have a bad experience, we may carry that energy to the next interaction. This can have a ripple effect reaching many people with one bad experience. The same can be said for a good experience of receiving kindness. What if that waitress went above and beyond to make sure you received a special need. What if the customer complimented them for their wonderful service and even told their manager. How might that kindness ripple out and affect other customers that day?
In today’s environment the expectation of kindness can be a rare thing. I went to a store recently and was blown away by how kind the staff were there. I thought I should come here more often! It caught me off guard. I expected to be told you didn’t read the sign or know what to do. But instead, I was met with kindness, patience and smiles. It made my day! So, imagine what small acts of kindness can do to bring people the energy they so desperately need. We are all tired, we are all stressed, we are all divided, we all get angry. We just want relief. We want love. We want kindness. The next time the news tells you what this horrible “political party, social group, age group and more” is thinking or doing, slow down, stop and think. If social media says, can you believe what “these” people think. We should all be upset! Pause before reacting. Maybe do some research or hear a different point of view before getting into the emotional frenzy. Don’t let other influences tell you who to love or hate. Don’t let them put you in a bad mood. Don’t let them divide you and pre-judge people. Have kindness. I know it’s not always easy when you are depleted. But start with the intention to try.
Kindness is such a beautiful gift to share with someone. It can spread to others quickly and easily. Be an example of kindness to yourself and others. Show your kids, co-workers, students, employees or family what kindness is all about. If someone comes at you with harsh energy, have boundaries but try not to take it personally. They may be low on energy, having a bad day, not able to be kind in that moment. But do show patience, empathy and compassion for them and you. If you are depleted on energy, then don’t put yourself in situations where you are vulnerable and reactive. Manage your time and energy and know your limits. Act responsibility with what you participate in, words you speak and action you take. Be accountable for how you treat others and yourself. Start practicing kindness with yourself and see how it feels. Be a loving example of kindness and see how you can truly change the world.
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