Local Lizzie: Be kind, always

I am a strong believer of treating others the way you would like to be treated. The kind of energy you put out in the world is the kind you will receive back. Be kind to people, always. You don’t know what they’re going through. You only know a tiny fraction of a person’s life, in fact, if they’re a stranger, you don’t know anything about them.

You don’t know if they’re going through a tough breakup or if someone close to them passed away. So, let’s be gentle with people, let’s plant seeds of kindness in other people’s lives. Because even a smile can make someone’s day better. When you ask how someone’s day is, listen, really listen intentionally. People are incredible, we all have a story to tell. We all have struggles and none of us are perfect.

If the barista at Starbucks made a mistake on your order, who cares. Why waste our energy on getting upset over a drink when we can show so much love and grace instead? It’s not the end of the world.

Because at the end of the day, it’s your choice whether you are mean or kind. Your circumstances don’t decide that, your past doesn’t decide that and the pain you are going through doesn’t decide that. You are not identified by your pain.

You can the make the decision to let your trials and pain make you kinder. What if we lived in a world where every negative thing we said was replaced by kindness?

We would transform so many people’s lives. We can make a huge difference in someone’s life just by the words we use.

So, remember, be gentle with people no matter what.

That person who cut you off in traffic? Instead of flipping them off or yelling outside your window, try smiling and laughing it off instead. You don’t know them; they could be on their way to the hospital to visit a sick family member. You just never know.

That server who forgot to bring your drinks because it’s busy and they look stressed? Instead of complaining and not tipping, why not tip extra to make their day so much better!

There is something so beautiful about being kind to everyone around you. Be a light in this world and just keep on loving.

Missed last week’s column?

Ways to heal from a broken heart