cultivate kindness.

the way you treat people matters.

i know i know.
revolutionary.

but for some reason
(some odd odd reason)
it seems that this is a concept that so many people just simply cannot grasp.

did you know
that you cannot look at a person
and automatically know
"this person is struggling with depression"
"this person's mother is battling cancer"
"this person just got fired from his job"

because of our inability to look at someone and receive a full list of things he or she may be battling or struggling with, it is so greatly important to be aware of the way you treat absolutely everyone.

just because someone looks okay

does 
not
ever
actually
mean 
they
are
okay.


i have found very often that it seems as though my generation is too busy holding mirrors in front of our faces when we look at others and focusing in on ourselves and all that we want, need, desire to actually look at others with sensitivity and compassion.

i don't know
maybe it's because i'm in college
and everyone around me has a very 
"me-focused" mentality

but this seems to be an even more and more pressing issue lately.

i was talking to a friend recently about words and about how we treat people and a thought came to me.

when we speak.
we put words together in a way that best fits what we want to say, what we want to convey, and what we want to be known.
many times
this happens with no thought of 
"how are these words going to be heard?"
"how are these words going to be translated?"
and no regard to the audience we are speaking to.

we just speak.
because words should be flippant and not thought out.

JUST KIDDING DONT BELIEVE THAT PLEASE.

i worked at chickfila in high school.
one thing our boss told us the first day
is that you should always be aware that you are completely unaware
of what the person you are serving is going through.
and that because of this
there should always be a sensitivity in the way you speak and treat every customer.

this is something i have carried with me ever since then.
it stood out.

i don't know everyone's current battles.
i don't know if that smile actually means you are happy.
i don't know how close you are to breaking.

it is time that we stop looking at ourselves when we talk to others.
it is time that we stop thinking of ourselves when we serve others.

there's a sign hanging in my home that i see every day.

cultivate kindess.

so let's look at those two words for a second.

cultivate:
to devote oneself to
to promote the growth or development of.

kindess:
the state of being kind.

okay so.

cultivate kindess.
devote yourself to being kind.
promote kindess.
foster a sense of kindness.

in simple terms...
BE NICE TO PEOPLE.
CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE BEING NICE IS EASY.

this requires us to think of others.
this requires us to be sensitive.
this requires us to not say, share, post, comment, text 
every thought that pops into our heads.

to sum it all up.
this requires self control.

so be aware.
be aware that there are struggling people.

be aware that your smile may be the first smile that person has seen all day.

be aware that words cut down and you can use yours to build back up.

be aware that depressed people don't always have tears on their cheeks and frowns on their faces.

be aware that the way you treat a person can send them over the edge or pull them out of harm's way.

now go hug your neighbor and give everyone you see today a high five.

cultivate kindess, friends.