Responding with Kindness

As irritating as it feels to be treated in an unfriendly or rude way, I do believe it is best to not respond in the same manner. It takes a certain amount of self-control, to respond with kindness when you have just been treated poorly.

My first reaction when someone is unfriendly, unfair or just plain rude is anger. My instinct is to snap back and say something hurtful. Sometimes, though, if I have my wits about me, I might be able to calm myself down and reverse the situation. For example:

• A bank officer was very off-putting and I was able to respond with, “Are you having a bad day?”

• A rude supervisor at a donation center complaining about unusable items, I wish I had been able to respond with, “Thanks for letting me know.”

• An angry client or customer unhappy about a charge or fee, being able to respond with, “Why don’t you tell me about what seems unfair to you?”

It’s not a perfect world, but attempting to be kind in the face of unkindness, might just make your world a better place.

This week, as frequently as possible, try responding with kindness when you can. Share what you learned below.

Take good care!

Please jump in and respond on this blog, by clicking the blue 'Post a Comment' link just below.

If you are new to blogging, here are some instructions. If you are the first leave a comment, it will say 'No Comments' - just click that link. If you do not have one of the listed accounts, please choose either Name/URL or Anonymous from the profile list before you click 'Post Comment'.

Image Copyright: designpics / 123RF Stock Photo