I'm a huge fan of Ellen DeGeneres and her show. I've always loved watching her in the afternoons; It would oftentimes be the best part of my day. I love laughing along with Ellen and getting to watch all the celebrities she interviews with such poise. I was envious of audience members that were lucky enough to be on the show during "12 Days of Giveaways," the annual segment when Ellen gives away lots of gifts like vacations, gift cards, and all other kinds of awesome gadgets for her supporters. Facebook is often decorated with videos of Ellen surprising lucky viewers who have been struggling with new cars or checks to help them get back on their feet, and all without wanting anything in return.
Her heart is do big and it is so clear on the show. But my most favorite part of the Ellen show would be the way she ends every single show: "Be kind to one another."
Every time I hear her say that line on the show, my eyes well with tears. Five little words that have such a powerful meaning behind it, "be kind to one another."
The sad thing is we aren't always kind to each other. We snap at the barista on campus who gave you whipped cream when you specifically asked for no cream. We get frustrated at the people that are walking slow in front of us on our way to an 8:30 a.m. We roll our eyes at professors when they assign more homework than we thought. We scoff at the classmate who gives a silly answer. It takes so much more energy to be mean than it does to be kind. We are all human. We are not immune from mistakes and flaws, so what gives us that power to be mean to others?
Being kind to one another isn't rocket science. It's more of being mindful. Being conscious of how passive aggressive you were to your TA that lost your final project. Appreciate the kindhearted friends in your life. Stop to help the lost student. Breath when the line of cars isn't letting you cross the crosswalk. Be mindful of the importance of your energy, and that sometimes taking 30 seconds to breathe through stressful situations instead of snapping at innocent people.
It is so unbelievably cliché, but life is so short. Who would honestly want to spend so much energy being negative and rude to people who don't deserve it? Everyone is struggling even if it doesn't seem like it. Be kind to one another always, as hard as that can be sometimes. No matter when you think a person doesn't deserve it or they don't even show it back, be a spark that starts a flame and stand out from the crowd. Do the right thing and honestly, be the bigger person.
So as Ellen says "Be kind to one another."
