Kindness Is Everything in Life

Make sure you do the right thing-stand up and be counted

Living your life by practicing small acts of kindness throughout the day makes a big difference. If you are the recipient, you feel grateful. If you are the giver of kindness and good deeds, you should also feel grateful for the opportunity you took advantage of.

A lot of people today are always in a hurry. They are focused on a tunnel vision view of their own daily life tasks and getting their chores done.

They feel like they don’t have enough time in the day to just slow down and show a little kindness.

The moment should never be bigger than you. There is always enough time to do the right thing.

Really, what’s the hurry? Have you ever rushed through the day and when you got home and reflected on your day, you were nagged with second thoughts and doubts about how you could have been a little kinder in certain situations?

Maybe cutting somebody off trying to merge on the freeway, walking away with more change than you know you deserve, or ignoring fixing a safety hazard gives you a rush, or a few more seconds in your day.

Maybe it even makes you feel better at the time, but if you have a conscience, does it matter at the end of the day?

I’m no saint, and I used to be more like that too. But on reviewing my actions in almost every 50–50 situation I thought about, I could have been just a little kinder and not been plagued by doubts and second thoughts after it was too late to do anything about it.

It made me feel guilty, unsatisfied, and second-guessing myself. No more.

Now I have these conversations with myself at the time the opportunity presents itself, when my actions could make a difference, when I could help somebody out.

And every time I take the time to simply do the right thing, it makes me feel better.

No thanks are required, and often none are given. A lot of the time, nobody even notices. But you always know you did the right thing and there is never any second guessing.

Like today, I was at the laundromat and noticed a puddle of water near one of the machines. It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining brightly and the puddle was nearly invisible from most angles.

But I saw it and there was no hesitation. I just pulled a WET FLOOR warning sign over the puddle so it was clearly visible to everybody.

It only took a second, but I felt a sense of deep satisfaction knowing I had done the right thing. I never saw anybody slip and fall, or even come close.

I could have looked the other way, I personally was in no danger. But just by performing a simple act of kindness, I had a good feeling that I may have prevented an accident.

Who knows? It doesn’t matter. I had the satisfaction of doing all that I could have done.

And when I got home, there was no second-guessing myself.

Life is full of little moments like that, brief moments crystallized in time when we have the opportunity to make a difference.

We need to seize these moments, treasure them for the opportunity they are, and not regret a single instant of our lives.

We need to stand up for the right, we need to make our voices heard, and we need to make the right choices whenever we get the opportunity.

If we do that, if everybody did that, the world would be a much better place. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and stand up for the right.

It doesn’t matter if you get any recognition in the moment. Because in the long run, it all adds up.

The cumulative acts of every person, whether it is more popular, safer, or politically expedient all add up. Do whatever you can, whenever you can.

Make the world a better, warmer, more human place to live in when you get the chance. Kindness is everything.

Make the world a better place. Be a better person. We are all connected…