I don’t know about you but I find it really challenging to be kind to those who are not kind to me. I also find it challenging to be kind when it seems like the whole entire world, people, even the Lord are against me. I so badly want to be able to say I am kind to everyone in all situations. But, the reality is I am not, and actually I am far from it. There are times when someone does me wrong and all I want is to give it right back to them. In these times I remind myself that this is when kindness matters the most.
I am in no means saying I am perfect by any means but I do try very hard, I make a conscious effort to be kind in tough situations. I think that it is very hard to be kind when we live in a world that tells us to stick up for ourselves, to be tough, to not let anyone or anything knock us down. Although there is validity to this notion sometimes we need to go against what the world says to do the right thing. I have said it on this blog before and I will say it again: it is always right to do the right thing. When I think about myself honestly treating someone the way they have or do treat me it makes me feel sick. No matter how upset they have made me, treating someone in that same way is completely out of my character. And, if I am being honest, that is far more exhausting than just being kind.
I don’t have the key to being kind in tough situations but what I do know is that humbling yourself helps a lot. Everyone has bad days, everyone is fighting their own uphill battle, everyone can treat others poorly, but everyone has good in them and therefore everyone deserves to be treated as such.
Maybe this is me being naive but I feel like sometimes by me being kind it might inspire that good in someone to shine through just a little bit more than normal. I can’t change people and I most certainly cannot change the world, but I can change how I respond to negativity and I can choose for that response to be kind.
Stay kind. Jaide