Recently I came across Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind” (if you haven’t heard it I would give it a listen), and it sparked something in my mind. Kindness is something that I have always seen great importance in and I always encourage people to be as kind as possible.

For example, I have this teacher in high school who thought it was unnecessary and bothersome to have a conversation with your barista when getting coffee. He would bring it up in class and I would always tell him that it is just nice to talk to them. They are working, probably bored, and just want to have a pleasant conversation.

It is things like that or people not cleaning things that are messy just because they didn’t make the mess that confuse me. Also, when someone needs food but they don’t have money (#college), and no one offers them anything, I just don’t understand.

I feel like as a society, we are so focused on getting ourselves to where we want to be that we don’t care who we step on in our journey. We have forgotten the importance of compassion and kindness.

It is so easy to be kind. It can be as little as holding the door open for someone or paying someone a compliment. You can clean a mess that you see or do the dishes for your mom so that she can take a break. Kindness does not always have to come in a really big gesture and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time and effort on your part. It is just a matter of being conscious of the people and the world around you.

Often, I ask myself “What could someone else do for me right now to make my day better?” Whatever the answer is, I try to do that thing for someone else to try and make their day better. Next time you come across someone that is struggling, give them a hand. Say you see someone that looks sad or like they are having a hard day. Take it upon yourself to smile at them or say hi. Why? Because making someone else's day is an easy way to make your own.

I am a big believer in putting in what you want to get out. Basically, I believe in positive karma: what you give is what you get. So, if I am sweet and kind in my everyday life, somehow that positive energy will come back to me.

With all the things going on right now, the world needs more kind people. More people that are understanding, more people that are compassionate. I’m not saying that everyone in the world will suddenly be kind and all our problems will go away, but I do think that it would help drastically.

Mark Twain once said “Kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see” and I think that is a great way to think about it. Anyone and everyone can be effected by you positive vibes and nice things you do in your everyday life. So, go out there and do something nice for someone. If you see someone doing something nice, thank them. Encourage people to be kind, because nothing but good things can come out of it.