I’m not usually one to initiate conversations with my fellow travelers, but in this case I found myself hurrying to catch up to the message and the woman so I could ask her about it. Fortunately, we were heading for the same escalator and I managed to squeeze in right behind her.
When I think about world changers, I usually think about people who are tackling huge problems like world peace, deadly diseases, hunger, homelessness, and poverty. Yet, my new friend with her “Be kind to other people” t-shirt is a world changer too. She is simply and subtly spreading her message of kindness and creating a ripple effect as she goes.
I like to think of myself as a kind person (thanks Mom and Dad for the good upbringing), but after that interaction I felt the need to be proactively kind. As I went through the rest of my trip and the rest of that day, I found myself seeking out opportunities to make someone else’s day better. And now, a few days later, here I am still talking about it – all because of a message on a t-shirt.
It’s easy to create a kinder and gentler world for someone else through a smile, a compliment, an offer to help. But it’s just as easy to get caught up in what is going on in our own worlds – a delayed flight, an impending deadline, an argument with a spouse – and forget about the opportunity we have each day to create a ripple effect of kindness. So as the t-shirt was a reminder to me, here is my reminder to you – wherever you are today, whatever you are doing, and whatever life throws at you: “Be kind to other people.” Always.
(And how I wish I had written down the name of the café when she showed me the logo on the front! If this rings a bell with you, please send me an email.)
Looking for an extra dose of inspiration today? The blog posts below are just what you need: