Living in a big city like Chicago, I’m constantly surrounded by people.
Sometimes, walking down the sidewalk can feel like I’m moving through a never-ending sea of faces. Each person is bustling along with their own to-do list in mind. So many are so intensely focused on their personal objectives for the day that they don’t even register the countless faces that pass by them.
As much as I hate to admit it, I’m also guilty of this at times.
When we rush around so much, we can forget to be nice. To others and to ourselves.
Let me rephrase that. “We forget to be kind.”
The phrase “being nice” makes me flash back to grade school when a teacher would discipline a student and say “That’s not nice. Be nice.” This generalized definition of “nice” focuses more on “not being mean,” rather than on how we CAN be nice.
Another way to be nice is to be kind.
Kindness is…
… smiling at that person you see every day on your morning commute and telling them to have a good day.
… asking someone how they’re doing AND actually listening to their response.
… holding the elevator or door for someone.
… paying for the person behind you in the Starbucks’s drive thru.
There are countless ways to be kind and sometimes the smallest things can mean the most.
As important as it is to be kind to others, it’s also incredibly important to be kind to yourself. Celebrate the little things. Treat yourself occasionally. See the silver lining in every situation. Give yourself a break sometimes!
As kooky as it may sound, I really do believe in karma and positive energy. I believe that the type of energy and the kind of attitude you put out into your environment shapes your day and your interactions with others. Happiness, smiles and kindness are all contagious (at least in my experience). 😉
If you feel like you’re having trouble finding “nice” people around you, take control and be that positive force. Be kind to those around you! Make someone’s day a little bit brighter. Make them smile a little wider.
Today, I challenge you to go out of your way to be kind to someone you don’t know. Whether you go about doing so by sharing a smile, holding a door, buying someone’s coffee, etc. Do it!!! Even the smallest thing can make someone’s day in a major way.
I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful Wednesday!
