Some find it tough to be kind.
To be kind. all. the. time.
To anyone, anywhere, at any time.
“He doesn’t treat me well, so why should I?”
For your own sake.
“She only thinks about herself, so why can I not do the same?”
You can.
You should.
“He never does anything for me, so why would I?”
For your happiness.
Kindness begets kindness.
Hatred begets hatred.
Positivity begets positivity.
Negativity begets negativity.
It’s all a cycle.
I try to think of it that way.
I’m not there yet.
Getting closer though.
What triggered me to be – or try to be – kind was much more selfish: it affects my own happiness.
I would ask myself the questions above.
Or I would hear someone else ask them.
In neither case I felt happy.
I would feel or think negatively.
One day I thought: enough is enough.
I decided to experiment with myself.
Do or say things as kindly as possible.
Assuming the most positive of others’ intentions.
Expecting nothing in return…
Except my own peace and comfort.
Days, weeks, months have gone by.
With every passing day, this mentality becomes more an integral part of me.
It has become tough to think in terms of the questions I posed earlier.
They rarely cross my mind anymore.
The result: peace, comfort and happiness.
The world seems so much more positive than it once was.
The external world didn’t change; the internal one did.
One day I want to put others’ happiness before my own.
Until then, I do whatever I can to make myself happy.
Which, in turn, lets me make others happy.