There is too much hate in this world. People are capable of doing a lot of good, but at the same time, a lot of evil. So always be kind to one another.
There is power in kindness, something that we too often overlook. We are quick to flip off the slow driver in front of us, refuse to tip the waiter who gives us the wrong order, or yell at the salesperson who simply cannot return our purchase without the receipt.
But how often do we ask how their day went? Maybe it's their first time driving on their own. Maybe the restaurant is super busy. And maybe they simply cannot return the damn thing because it goes against store policy. You really never know what people are going through just by looking at them.
I try my best to read the news every day, because I think that it is important to be informed on what is happening in our world. But, lately, reading the news has been both sickening and infuriating me. A young woman was raped by a Stanford swimmer, who refuses to admit to his actions. Singer Christina Grimmie was assassinated signing autographs for her fans, at only 22-years old. Forty-nine people killed in an Orlando night club, when they just thought they'd be going out for a night of fun. One hundred and forty-seven individuals killed in a Kenyan University, most of which were students who had their whole lives ahead of them. And now they're all gone.
Too many deaths. Too much violence. Too much pain, suffering, and hate. It's all just too much.
That's why I believe in the power of kindness. Although people are capable of darkness, they are also undoubtedly capable of light. One word of kindness has the ability to change the mood of someone's day. One smile has the power to make someone feel better, happier, more confident, more hopeful. One act can change the way people think and believe.
Maybe our moment of kindness won't make much of a difference. Maybe people won't even give us a second glance. Maybe our words won't make their days a little brighter, our smiles won't give them hope, and our act won't change their mindsets in the slightest.
But, then again, what if it does? What if it does make a difference? We won't always know the effects of our actions, because some of them cannot be seen, going below the surface and hitting something much deeper.
The important thing is to speak anyway, smile anyway, act anyway, try anyway. Because there is too much hate in this world as is. People are capable of doing a lot of good, but at the same time, a lot of evil. So always be kind to one another.
