"Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows."
I love interactions with strangers who choose to treat me with kindness for no reason. They are genuine with their intent and their sincerity is heartfelt. It does not have to be someone who is being nice because they want something from me or they are paid to be nice to me since they work in customer service. I'm referring to those people we randomly have brief encounters with where we end up saying to ourselves something like, "I really like that person," or "That person was so nice."
These people usually hail from the eternal optimist or happy-go-lucky category, looking to spread love and joy wherever they go. I would classify myself as someone who aims to add positivity to people's days. I like being able to help lift the spirits of others as opposed to my youth when I took pleasure in attempting to make people feel bad. I admit that I still find myself doing this at times when I'm feeling down, but it does not really make me feel better anymore. Instead, it makes me question why I'm in a bad mood.
I found when I am in a funk, I have to take part in activities that help elevate my mood. For exercise, I like running and have recently gotten back into yoga. For my mental health, I benefit from time in silence, whether it's meditating or walking in nature. For creativity, I like to write and do graphic design. I found helping other people is a quick way to bounce back from feeling down. Once I am reinvigorated by these activities, I am back to my happy-go-lucky self, spreading smiles and sunshine, even when there only seems to be gloom in the room.
I think it's important to live The Golden Rule, but I understand that sometimes we just are not in the mood to be showing any sort of respect or kindness toward others, especially if they are also not in the best of moods. If we feel forced into faking our kindness to others, perhaps that's when it's time to do a self-check to make sure we are doing enough of our own self-care. Being more kind to ourselves could be the magic elixir in being able to spread those good vibes outward.
More Wellness!
