The Importance of Kindness

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  Our opinions are one of the things that make each of us unique.  We each have different thoughts, styles, likes, dislikes and life experiences.  But why do some feel like their choices, thoughts and opinions are better than others?  Superior even? So much so that they feel justified to put others down.  Sometimes it seems we forget the lessons we were taught growing up.  Like the importance of being kind to each other.

We are called to love.  Accept one another.  Treat others as we would like to be treated.  As adults, we think people would have learned by now.  We don’t always have to agree or see eye to eye but we do need to treat each other with respect.

I remember growing up and constantly hearing the quote, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”  And you know what?  It’s wrong.  Sticks and stones can harm you but so can words.  Sometimes even deeper.  Think about it.  I bet each of you can instantly think of something someone said to you or about you that hurt your feelings.  Their negative words seem carved into your mind and still upset you.  Bruises and cuts heal themselves over time.  But harsh words?  They can stay with you forever.

We are doing the exact thing that we are trying to teach the youth of today is wrong.  Bullying.  Adults bullying their peers and co-workers by bashing each other on social media.  Some think it’s funny to laugh at someone else’s expense.  It may not affect us as much as children but we are teaching them that this is an acceptable way to behave and treat people.  When you try to break someone down, it does not build you up.  When you call someone else a name, it does not make you superior.  We should be better than this.  We need to be better than this.

Life would be quite different if we were to act out in kindness instead of anger.  Be a source of love instead of spewing hate.  Embrace positivity instead of focusing on negativity.  In the moments where you don’t agree with someone, do it respectfully.  And for those other times, when you don’t have anything nice to say, sometimes it’s best to not say anything at all.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.