1. You could start a chain reaction of kindness.
When you commit an act of kindness, it has a more powerful impact than you know. The person receiving your kind gesture will be more inclined to treat another person with kindness, and that person in turn will continue the chain of kind acts. Kindness is an inspiring force and has the ability to brighten the world through the smallest of gestures such as holding a door open or paying someone a compliment. Regardless of what kind gesture you make, the person will appreciate it more than you know and that will impact the rest of their day in a positive way.
2. You never know what someone is struggling with privately.
Everyone has their own story that the world may not know about, but is real none the less; you can never truly tell what someone is struggling with beneath the surface of a smiling facade. There are countless obstacles that could be weighing down on a person’s mind, and we simply cannot judge who is conflicted with what at any given time as people often keep their problems to themselves. The best way to deal with this issue is to treat everyone with kindness. A kind smile or a few words of encouragement could significantly improve the mindset of someone who is struggling.
3. You could be the difference in making someone’s day.
We’ve all had those days when nothing is going right. You sleep through your alarm, show up late to class and don’t even have time to grab your morning cup of coffee. Your day is already off to a bad start and things just seem to continue to go wrong from there. Then suddenly, someone takes the time to smile at you warmly and tell you you look nice or that they hope you have a great day, and everything changes. Your whole perspective on the day instantly improves and suddenly, all the little things bringing you down don’t seem so bad.
4. One day, you may need the kindness in return.
There’s a quote by Maya Angelou that says, “At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” If you make it your goal to treat everyone with kindness, chances are people will remember the way you made them feel. Most likely, the day will come when you are going through a rough stage and you need people to lean on and show you kindness when you need it the most. If you only ever treated people indifferently or with a cold shoulder, the kindness you are searching for in your time of need won’t be there. But if you are kind to others, a wealth of kindness will be waiting for you in return and will be there to pick you up on your lowest day.
5. You have the chance to leave a positive legacy.
You have the power to determine how people will remember you. Whether you are remembered in a positive or negative light all comes down to how you treat others. If you make kindness a priority, not only will you positively impact the lives of your peers, but you will improve your own life as well. Being nice inspires respect from others and leads people to gravitate towards you because you positively affect their lives. Bringing happiness and brightening the world around you is a great accomplishment. Kindness is an admirable legacy to leave behind.
