I am writing this message today because of a quote on my Daily Stoic calendar from Seneca:

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”

In my travels around all of our offices, I have noticed a few signs that deal with kindness, specifically being nice. Two examples are: “Because nice matters.” And “Be nice.”

I do believe there is a difference between nice and kind. Being nice is when you are polite to people and treat people well. Being kind is when you care about people and show you care.

Here’s a pretty interesting quote. According to John Gottman, an American psychologist and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington who has worked over four decades on divorce prediction and marital stability:

“Kindness is the most important predictor of satisfaction and stability in a marriage.”

Does that mean you will have a better marriage by just being kinder? I’m not sure, but being kind is pretty self-explanatory, and there are quite a few ways to express it.

Here are ten simple and easy things you can do to show kindness:

  1. Open the door for someone
  2. Give someone an unexpected, genuine compliment
  3. Say thank you
  4. Slow down and let someone merge in front of you when driving
  5. Put coins in someone’s parking meter if it’s close to expiring
  6. Smile at someone who looks like they’re having a rough day
  7. Help a neighbor by taking out their trash or dropping off a meal
  8. Write a thank-you note
  9. Bring in coffee for a co-worker who has been stressed
  10. Volunteer at or donate to an organization that’s meaningful to you

Oh, and by the way, it’s really, really, really (yes, three times) important to be nice to yourself. Sometimes we forget this. Our internal self-talk can be mean and impatient, and we use words we’d never use with others.

So, be impeccable with your word – speak with integrity, say only what you mean, avoid using words to speak against yourself or to gossip about others, and use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Be nice. Or, even better, be kind.

Life is good.

Jeff

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