Do the Right Thing

My mother always said “you’ll get more flies with honey than with vinegar.”  While she had good intentions, this never sat well with me.  It was as if she were saying that in order to get what I wanted or needed, I should put my sweetest self forward, whether it was genuine or not.  I have erased that adage and replaced it with one from Amelia Earhart.  “A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.”   The intention to begin with kindness is a choice we can all make and it is a choice that needs no applause.

Last week during the Olympics, a US and New Zealand runner collided during the 5,000 meter race.  The US runner (Abbey D’Agostino) stopped to help her competitor, forgoing her own chance at winning a medal.  The press exploited her generosity and used it was tag line.  “D’Agositno shows Olympic Spirit.” Being an Olympic athlete commands a level of selfishness.  Portraying selflessness at a time she should have been hyper-focused on her goals impressed me.  Not because she showed superhuman spirit, but because there was no intention involved.  She  acted on impulse. The impulse to do the right thing.  She didn’t have time to think about the consequence of her actions.  She didn’t have time to determine if it was a public relations opportunity.  I challenge the idea that this is somehow an Olympic feat.  It is not Olympic spirit – it is HUMAN spirit.  I long to live in a world where doing the right thing is an expectation and not a surprise.

It seems ideological, but being generous of spirit and kind towards others is simply the way the world should be.  I was lucky enough to be raised by someone who led by example.  My step-mother never passed someone in need without helping.  She asked strangers if they needed help with directions.  She stopped to smell the roses and pick up litter along the way. She was kind to every single person she encountered, from the security guard to the grocery clerk.  She led with kindness each and every day and did it quietly.  She never wanted attention for her generosity.  In fact, she would leave quotes of positivity all over her art studio to remind her each day how to be the best person she could be.  I am “simply positive” that to act without intention or need for recognition will not only make a difference in someone’s life, but it will heighten your life journey.

Your homework this week is to make an intention to lead with kindness. How are you missing opportunities to be kind?  Share a compliment, ask how you can help, learn the names of the people you interact with, smile.  

A reminder Robin left for herself.