The other day I was sitting in one of my psychology classes, taking notes and over-highlighting the outline the professor had given us for that particular lecture; it was just another day in the college student life. There was about ten minutes left in the class period when a classmate of mine burst hurriedly through the door, rushing to her unassigned assigned seat, the empty one next to mine. My professor, unbothered, continued the lecture, and as she was wrapping up the class, the late girl turned to me and pleaded, asking if she could copy my notes, the notes she had missed because she was so late. Honestly, in my head I was thinking, "How is this girl going to show up with ten minutes left of class and expect me to give her the notes? I had to sit through class to obtain all of these notes, so why should I give her them for nothing?" It was then that I looked into this girl's face, seeing how anxious and frazzled she looked, and I realized that I truly had no idea what was going on in her world. I had no clue why she was late; her car may have broken down, maybe she was coming from visiting her sick relative in the hospital, etcetera. There could have been a million different reasons as to why she was late, and really, who am I to judge her for it? Let's put an end to petty criticism, shall we?

There are instances such as the one in the previous paragraph sprinkled into everyday. Being kind can easily strengthen your relationships and improve your overall quality of life, as well as make you feel more satisfied with your life. Anyone who has ever done anything for someone else knows that doing things for others makes you feel good about yourself. The question becomes: How do I want the world to see me? What kind of person do I want to be today? What kind of person do I want to be tomorrow?

There are a million different ways to spread kindness. There are small things, such as holding the door for someone, smiling at a stranger in passing, or helping carry someone's groceries to their car. There are big things, such as helping an elderly neighbor with yard work, or taking your friend out to celebrate his/her new job, or donating old clothing to your local homeless shelter. And then there's everything in between. I have to say, it takes much less energy to be nice than it does to be mean.

I am sure you have heard the saying, "In a world where you can be anything, be kind." Cliche as it may sound, it holds true in just about any situation. According to Dictionary.com, to be kind is to be of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person. I believe we all have it in our hearts and souls to be this kind person, to put our judgments aside and simply be nice humans. God knows, the world could use all the nice humans it can get. Sprinkle kindness everywhere you can.