"A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal."
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Human beings are uncanny. We spend so much of our time trying to impress those around us that we forget to ask ourselves what we truly want. We do a certain thing and act a certain way, only to 'fit in' and be 'accepted' by society, and then we wonder why we're so unhappy.
As the saying goes, not all that glitters is gold. Not everyone who seems happy is actually fulfilled or content. People act the way they wish to portray. Nobody shows off their failure on social media. Each person you come across is carrying a storm of pain and grief inside of them. People fight internal battles they don't talk about.
Some people are trying to recover from their past trauma, while others are trying to get rid of their beloved's memories. Some people are trying to go on with their daily routine suffering from PTSD while others are fighting a battle with depression. Some might suffer from financial crises, while others might be trying to get rid of their anxiety. Some people might be on the verge of giving up on their dreams while others might be standing on a bridge of an ocean that is 50 feet deep. Some people live with abusive parents or partners, while others might get bullied at their workplace or school. The ones who suffer try their best to look for reasons to survive and get through the day, even if it is a stranger's smile. People suffer from unimaginable things; that is one of the million reasons why it is important to be kind.
To be kind is to be human, and to be human is to be compassionate. To be compassionate is to understand the pain of others. And to understand the pain of others takes immense courage. To attain courage, one must look deep within his soul and ask himself this question; would I like to be treated the way I treat others?
Kindness is the easiest contrivance of all, yet, the rarest. Perhaps your small act of kindness might seem insignificant to you. However, for them, it could be a source of strength to hold unto, a tiny ray of hope for a better tomorrow. Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people. You will not fall weak by lending a helping hand to those in need. Perhaps your tiny gesture of goodwill could save a life.
Help a blind man cross the street, and call your parents, reminding them how much to you they mean. Plan a dinner with your best friend and surprise your partner with a gift they'd love. Oftentimes, the world can be a dark place. Remember to be kind to others. But most of all, remember to be kind to yourself. Remember to take care of your heart; remember to be gentle with your soul. Whenever you speak, think twice if your words shall hurt the listener.
Speak gentle words, not only to them but to yourself as well. Quit abusing yourself if you've ever committed a mistake. Human beings are made for the sole purpose to learn. And what better way to learn than by committing mistakes?
As the saying goes, there is no use in crying over spilled milk. Regretting over the things you've done, the words you've said, the mistakes you've committed, the decisions you took, and the people you loved won't change what's already happened. Reminiscing the painful memories won't change your past. Those chapters have already been written. The things you went through were meant to happen, only to mold you into your higher self, the person you were meant to be. Just because your story's beginning wasn't beautiful does not mean you do not deserve a happy ending.
When you remind others of their worth, utter the exact same words to yourself as well. When you wake up in the morning, look at your reflection and say out loud, "I am good enough, I am deserving of happiness, I am deserving of love." and watch your life turn around. If you think positive, you attract positive. If you think negative, you attract negative energies and negative people into your life. If you treat someone wrongly, the universe will make sure it happens to you too. And karma will make sure that you go through the things you made others feel. You will suffer, the way you made them suffer. Do good, and good will come to you. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. So wherever you might go, reap kindness and reap love, and the universe shall grant you what you're deserving of.
Forgive yourself if you've had a regretful past; forgive others for hurting you when they themselves were hurting as well. Life might not be perfect, but it is unpredictably beautiful. If there is pain, then there is also love. If there is evil, then there is also goodness. If there is grief, then there is also joy. If there is cruelty, then there is also kindness.
Stay true to who you are, and in doing that, you will send out such vibrations into the universe that will attract opportunities and people in your lives, the ones you deserve. To become the best version of yourself, you'd have to go through countless sleepless nights of healing and innumerable moments of weeping for those who never saw your true worth. Feel the sadness in your heart; let it teach you; let it mold you into your most authentic self. Sometimes, sorrow can be a good thing. Because it teaches you certain things that happiness never could.
As you go through your life's journey, there will be a lot of challenging moments you'd face. Do not let the hardships turn your heat into stone.
So tonight, remember to be kind. It is one way of soothing a broken heart; no matter how dark this world might seem, there is always something good to be found amidst the chaos. Because a mark of kindness is the only thing, people leave behind, even after they fade away into the depths of space and time.
