I’ve intentionally been practicing selfless acts of kindness with people I meet or come into brief contact with and let me tell you. It’s a blessing. I can’t speak for the people on the receiving end of my acts of kindness but from their external reaction they seem to welcome these acts.
It just dawned on me one day to do this. Being my usual ‘thinking-self’, I thought about the different emotions and problems hiding behind the exterior facades of the people I meet. I thought that if I were having issues, I’d appreciate someone treating me kindly.
One of things I really, really, really hate is dealing with customer service especially on the phone. So I decided that anytime, I had to deal with them, I’ll go beyond the normal pleasantries and be extra nice. I began to chat with them and try to get them to talk about something different than their work and it has worked so well.
I discovered that a lot of the time, they don’t really know what they’re doing. Some of them are learning as they talk to you. And you being pleasant and understanding actually relieves the pressure on them which allows them to perform their jobs better and give you the customer care you deserve. The results have been tremendous I find people going above and beyond when you don’t get angry (even though you have the right to; because their company messed up). Now I don’t dread dealing with customer service anymore. I have a weapon and it is kindness.
The second group of people I’ve targeted with my special acts of kindness are shop assistants and front desk personnel. I use my ‘high- wattage’ smile and it never ceases to work. Smiling at people, really makes them smile back and if it doesn’t warm their hearts enough, just find something you genuinely like about them and compliment them on it. Works like a charm. You know what happens when you make a conscious effort to deal with people as people and not as their positions or titles? You begin to notice things about them. You become more aware of your surroundings, you see beautiful eyes, you notice a lovely voice, you see nice shoes, you see long fingers and smooth skin. You just start to notice all kinds of wonderful things when you go looking for something to compliment someone about. You begin to notice the good in others. You can always find something worth complimenting someone about.
I’ve been going on nine weeks at this and it’s been very fulfilling. It’s really been a blessing to me. I’m hoping I can continue this streak. Sometimes, I worry someone might make me lose my cool and not be able to continue. I’m hoping I’ll always remember to think of the person behind the facade and not the facade they present to me. I hope I can continue to intentionally show selfless acts of kindness to the people I meet. I also hope you will try it.
Thanks for reading and as always, I’ll love to hear your comments and experiences. Have you been on the receiving end of kindness or have you engaged in it? How did it make you feel? Let’s chat in the comments section
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