The other day I found myself shopping for gifts. In the midst of my shopping for others, I came upon a skirt and a dress on the sale rack that I decided to try on for myself. After having shopped around in the store for about ten minutes, I went to the back of the store to find a dressing room. At this point not one of the three sales people in the boutique had offered to help me. They found themselves too busy and engrossed in their other customers to even so much as look at me. Finally a salesperson emerged from the back of the store and offered me a dressing room. But after checking with the other sales associates, I was told all the dressing rooms had clothing in them and were in use (not a soul was in one of them-they were all still shopping). I was kindly offered the bathroom to try on my clothes. Oh this got my blood boiling and I quickly tried on the clothes and determined they looked like crap. I gathered the two items and headed out of the bathroom enraged and annoyed. Still not one salesperson even looked at me. I threw the items down on a table and marched out of the store (walking right past two sales associates who still refused to acknowledge me).
I know you could probably care less about my mistreatment at some stupid store. It's ridiculous to even mention. But, the incident illustrates not only how very much I dislike rudeness in others, but also how a little kindness could have gone a long way. A little kindness like a smile, like saying, "hello," like giving up an empty dressing room for me to quickly try on the clothes-these kindnesses could have changed my entire experience. Trust me such small offers of kindness couldn't have taken more than a second to convey. And, in return I likely would have purchased stuff and left the store satisfied and happy as opposed to red- faced and perturbed.
OK, enough of this woe is me tale. My point is, I like kindness. In particular, I like kindess because it comes in many forms. Truthfulness can be a kindness; so can encouragement, listening, support, showing interest in others, offering protection, teaching and giving something while expecting nothing in return. There are endless types of kindnesses. Some forms come without much effort, while other forms require such sacrifices as time, money and patience. But, no matter the size or the type of kindness given, we benefit both when we give kindness and when we receive it.
As a receiver of kindness, I'm a big fan of compliments. I love them. They instantly make me smile and boost my mood. Yesterday, as I was checking in at the gym, Caleb at the front desk told me he liked my nail polish. Even this silly compliment (yes, he is gay) made me happy. Afterall, who wants to have ugly nails. You laugh now, but all afternoon I felt an extra little spark. I'm telling you being kind doesn't take much, but it does a lot of good. If you think something nice about someone just say it. Sometimes we forget how important a little flattery and reassurance can be. So compliment away, but remember a compliment is only meaningful when it's sincere.
The power of kindness cannot be overestimated. I realize being kind is not always so easy. We at times become self-centered, lazy, tired, pre-occupied, bad-mooded and even robotic in our daily lives. We simply forget to use our manners or become frustrated, dejected, or solemn. When things go wrong in our own lives we can lose our ability to care. But, we've all got to try harder and to remember that doing a kind act or saying a kind word may not only get us out of a moody funk, it may also positively change someone else's mood too. Saying "thank you," opening a door for someone, or even complimenting someone's nail polish can go a long way. Kindness breeds happiness, likeness, confidence, producitivity and all things we need to thrive. What's there not to like?
In case you didn't get the message...I like kindness.
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