We scroll through our Instagram feeds and breezily pass by black screened posts of people we claim as our "best friends."
"Somebody please text me."
"I feel like I have nobody.."
"Applications for friends please hmu."
"I feel so alone rn."
These things have really been posted, I've seen them myself. And yet, by impulse, most of us simply like the post and move on or scroll past without bothering to read it or take action.
We could all be a little more kind. Instead of thinking to yourself, 'Oh, what an attention seeker,' maybe, instead, you could think, "Oh, my friend really needs my help."
We could all use a little more kindness. The way the world is, some of us are so immune to hostility and bitterness from strangers because it's easy. Being ignorant and inconsiderate is easy because you don't have to pay attention to others or their feelings. It takes less time and energy off on your behalf.
But being kind surely has its benefits. Making everybody feel like a somebody has a profound effect on every party involved in the interaction. Just a little bit of kindness goes such a long way.
Even a simple "how are you?" can change somebody's day or even life. You never know. Be kind to everyone because everyone is fighting their own battle. Regardless of the types of relationships you have, some centered on humor and having a great time laughing with each other, or others that are more serious and focused on feeding off of each others success, a simple "how are you?" even once a week goes a long distance. When somebody genuinely wants to know how you are and how you feel with your success in life so far and the place that you're at, that can have such a prominent effect on someone's well-being. Knowing that someone truly cares about you makes all the difference.
We don't have to be kind. We should choose to be kind. Life is too short to focus on negativity, anxiety and sadness. Why break each other down when we could build each other up?
With so much going on in the world today enabling us to be sullen and hostile, look on the bright side. And if there is none, you've got to make one.
"Kindness is the light that dissolves all walls between souls, families and nations." - Paramahansa Yogananda