Kindness Quotient

I've been reading the book "A Love Worth Giving" by Max Lucado, and I came to a part in it that asks about your kindness quotient.

You know - how tolerant are you of others. Do you give someone the bird if they cut you off in in traffic or do you think "they must really be in a hurry like I was yesterday". Have you given a dirty look to the mom whose three children are fighting in the check-out line at the grocery story, or have you thought to yourself "that poor woman, I should go over there and try to help her out because I've BTDT."

We run into situations every day where we have the opportunity to have a negative thought about another person, or give a scowl, or even say a nasty word to.

Today, for example, I was in Michaels. I had Cole in the cart, and Tommy was walking behind us. We were in the outside aisle but they were putting up new displays for the walkways so it was kind of tight. We were right at the end of that display area, about to be out in the open when a woman starts to come down the aisle. Instead of turning back a small step, she proceeds to turn right in front of me, then she was forced to go down an aisle because there just wasn't room for both of us (honestly, I was trapped because there was no open aisle for me to turn down). As I walked by her she snidely remarked "thank you."

Okay. For those of you who know me you know I'm opinionated. I always have something to say. I try to bite my tongue if it's someting that will hurt you or someone else but there are times when my "attitude" gets the better of me. However, today, I reacted in a way I probably would have not usually reacted. I told her I was sorry. And I walked on.

I'm sure she was thinking to herself, why did I say that? Why did I have to be so rude? But I was left thinking "wow, I have nothing to think back on with a negative thought." I was kind in my reaction. Which in turn is probably why might think twice about her own actions.

Which got me thinking - if we were all to think about our kindness quotient, wouldn't the world actually be a nicer place? Seriously, we all get in bad moods or funks, where we really don't want to be kind to our loved ones, let alone a stranger. But think about how much happier we'd all be on a day to day basis if we could just stop being the victims in certain situations and not take things so negatively.

This is something I've decided to really work on for myself. Each week I'm going to post times where I've helped someone else, or said something to someone to make that person feel good. I have a friend who I really admire (love ya Kim!) because she always has something positive to say. Even when she's having a bad day she's genuinely interested in why you're having a bad day, and she may never mention hers. It's only later you find out she was in the same boat you were. I really do strive to be less selfish, it's something I feel like it's an area I need to work on, so I definitely think this will help me do it.