If you consider yourself to be an "overly-nice" person, you've probably had people tell you that constantly being kind will only lead to others treating you with disrespect. In fact, you've more likely than not even had people take advantage of your kindness in the past. This may have taught you to equate your compassion with weakness and look negatively on your sympathetic tendencies. Although others — and maybe even yourself — may tell you that being nice and giving everyone the benefit of the doubt is a flaw, I'm here to tell you that it's not.

I think we can all agree that the last thing that this world needs is more negativity. The news is flooded with stories of malicious acts, and social media is packed full of hateful comments toward others. A little kindness can go a long way, and displaying it does not mean that you are inviting others to treat you unfairly.

Sure, being kind may have caused you to stick with people who weren't good for you for a little too long, but that doesn't mean that your compassion is a bad thing. It is way better to treat the wrong people kindly than the right ones poorly. You wouldn't want to miss out on an amazing friendship or relationship just because you assumed that your kindness would be taken advantage of.

In fact, it takes more strength to be kind to someone and trust that they will reciprocate than it does to hide your emotions in order to spare your own feelings. We live in a society that has adopted the idea that the more closed off you are the better, but living this way will only leave holes of disconnection in your relationships. Instead, you should find value in choosing to see the good in people, because although it may backfire at times, your relationships and bonds with others will be much stronger in the long run.

So, continue to be kind and see the good in everyone you meet. Know your worth, and don't let yourself or others convince you that your kindhearted nature is something to be ashamed of. Embrace it wholeheartedly, spreading all the goodness you have to the world that so desperately needs it. I promise you, choosing to be kind is not a weakness; it is symbolic of strength.