How strange is it that more often than not, kindness is taken for weakness? I've encountered this bewildering ,but sadly accurate, truth more times than I'd have liked to. Just recently, I went to see the new Cinderella film. Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but the movie's "catch phrase," as you might call it, inspired me to start thinking about kindness and how we perceive it.
It's the same tale thats been told a hundred different times in a hundred different ways. Whether is Drew Barrymore, Hilary Duff, a Disney animation or real life adaptation, the story of Cinderella is one we all admit we're familiar with. However, what struck me from this most recent version was the line I'd yet to have heard in any other version before. As Cinderella's mother is dying, she leaves her with one piece of advice, "Have courage and be kind." The movie was average, what you'd expect from the thousandth Cinderella movie, but it was that quote which stuck with me after I left the theatre.
As I thought about it throughout the night I asked myself, "What does it mean to be both courageous and kind. How do these two work at once, considering they're pretty different from each other?" I finally came to the conclusion that, in this world, in order to be kind, you must possess courage. Not the type of courage that drives one to jump out of an airplane or ride the fastest roller coaster, but an entirely different courage altogether. It's the type of courage that allows you to look someone in the eyes who has continually hurt you and done you wrong and simply say, "I forgive you." It's the courage that enables us to reach out a hand to a stranger or those who may be difficult to help. It's the courage it takes to put yourself last, the courage of expecting nothing in return.
When we're kind, we will often be hurt. It's the easiest thing in the world to mistreat someone who doesn't intimidate you. When you present yourself with kindness, it's often taken as weakness. And as soon as you're seen as weak, you're prey. It sounds animalistic, but it's true. People will take advantage of you, they'll walk all over you, they'll ignore your feelings or in some cases maybe even treat you as though you aren't a person at all. Belittlement boost the self esteem of people who for whatever reason find kindness as a threat. Maybe it's because they've been hurt or maybe have never had a strong example of kindness in their lives, but there's always a reason for someone's anger. The most important thing is to be empathetic.
So maybe you'll ask yourself, "Is the kindness worth it?" I think it is. Not because kindness brings you fame or helps you climb the corporate ladder. It may not make you the most popular kid in the sandbox or the one people try to impress. No, you choose kindness because it simply changes lives. When you're kind to others, you make an impact in their world, even if its only a day made better. I believe kindness triumphs because it's like a fire that can quickly spread from person to person. We all are on different paths. Each person's life differs from the person next to them. We all have our own experiences, problems, stresses, pain. We all our going through something, whether it be big or small. We are all different, yet the one thing we share is the ability to be kind, and to spread kindness wherever we go.
The fact of the matter is, there's always going to be evil stepmothers and stepsisters. Probably not a day goes by you won't encounter at least one. And true, most of us can't say we possess the same unwavering kindness Cinderella did. But we can be kind, and we can make a difference. Even the evil stepmother & sisters were changed from Cinderella's kindness in the end. So, have the courage to be kind. Love those around you, no matter how different from you they may be. It's true you can never understand fully what someone else is going through, but you can always be kind.
"“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou
It's the same tale thats been told a hundred different times in a hundred different ways. Whether is Drew Barrymore, Hilary Duff, a Disney animation or real life adaptation, the story of Cinderella is one we all admit we're familiar with. However, what struck me from this most recent version was the line I'd yet to have heard in any other version before. As Cinderella's mother is dying, she leaves her with one piece of advice, "Have courage and be kind." The movie was average, what you'd expect from the thousandth Cinderella movie, but it was that quote which stuck with me after I left the theatre.
As I thought about it throughout the night I asked myself, "What does it mean to be both courageous and kind. How do these two work at once, considering they're pretty different from each other?" I finally came to the conclusion that, in this world, in order to be kind, you must possess courage. Not the type of courage that drives one to jump out of an airplane or ride the fastest roller coaster, but an entirely different courage altogether. It's the type of courage that allows you to look someone in the eyes who has continually hurt you and done you wrong and simply say, "I forgive you." It's the courage that enables us to reach out a hand to a stranger or those who may be difficult to help. It's the courage it takes to put yourself last, the courage of expecting nothing in return.
When we're kind, we will often be hurt. It's the easiest thing in the world to mistreat someone who doesn't intimidate you. When you present yourself with kindness, it's often taken as weakness. And as soon as you're seen as weak, you're prey. It sounds animalistic, but it's true. People will take advantage of you, they'll walk all over you, they'll ignore your feelings or in some cases maybe even treat you as though you aren't a person at all. Belittlement boost the self esteem of people who for whatever reason find kindness as a threat. Maybe it's because they've been hurt or maybe have never had a strong example of kindness in their lives, but there's always a reason for someone's anger. The most important thing is to be empathetic.
So maybe you'll ask yourself, "Is the kindness worth it?" I think it is. Not because kindness brings you fame or helps you climb the corporate ladder. It may not make you the most popular kid in the sandbox or the one people try to impress. No, you choose kindness because it simply changes lives. When you're kind to others, you make an impact in their world, even if its only a day made better. I believe kindness triumphs because it's like a fire that can quickly spread from person to person. We all are on different paths. Each person's life differs from the person next to them. We all have our own experiences, problems, stresses, pain. We all our going through something, whether it be big or small. We are all different, yet the one thing we share is the ability to be kind, and to spread kindness wherever we go.
The fact of the matter is, there's always going to be evil stepmothers and stepsisters. Probably not a day goes by you won't encounter at least one. And true, most of us can't say we possess the same unwavering kindness Cinderella did. But we can be kind, and we can make a difference. Even the evil stepmother & sisters were changed from Cinderella's kindness in the end. So, have the courage to be kind. Love those around you, no matter how different from you they may be. It's true you can never understand fully what someone else is going through, but you can always be kind.
"“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou