Kindness Gets You Nowhere
I will admit that when I was younger, meaning an adolescent, I was likely not the kindest person on the planet. Teenage years are hard. I know I had more than a few moments of being self-absorbed. I’m sure there were times I was borderline cocky, not because I thought I was great, but because I didn’t realize how other people might feel. On the other hand though, I noticed that wasn’t working for me and I did try hard to shed that exterior. Eventually I got involved in community projects which humbled me and would help shape who I became in the long run.
Now here I am 30 years into adulthood. I’m almost 50 and I’ve made huge strides to dig deep into my inner self to be a kind, understanding, compassionate, and patient person. I often find the strength to keep myself in check even when I feel like jumping through the phone or the Zoom connection to impact or influence the person on the other end. Sometimes I just want things my way or to be right, but so often I pause, breathe, and listen. Then I set about to find some mutual ground. In doing so, my posture changes, my voice softens, and I knuckle down to really listen, so I respond with kindness and empathy. I have done a lot to get to this point. I now get super frustrated with people when I realize they haven’t taken that time to improve that particular issue within their own life.
