At the end of every episode of the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Ellen says, "Be kind to one another."
Though this simple statement comes from one of the most powerful women in the world, I do not believe enough people listen to her.
Kindness is one of the simplest and most important character traits someone can possess.
Kindness isn't just a tool to make friends, to look like a better person or to get ahead in your career. It isn't a facade you can hide behind or something you can turn on and off as you please.
Kindness is something we should spread generously because you never know when someone you encounter will need it the most.
Because the term "kindness" is so frequently used, we sometimes forget its significance and don't realize the power behind true, genuine kindness.
We fail to notice the impact of our words and we don't realize that how we speak to people can have a profound effect on their day or even life.
It is incredibly easy to spread more kindness into the world because it all begins with us.
We have no idea what fellow human beings are currently battling when we converse with them at work, on the street or in a social setting.
We interact with people on a daily basis, but we fail to comprehend that more could be happening beneath the surface.
I frequently experience the wrath of people having bad days, so I understand that for some people, being kind to strangers who may not reciprocate the courtesy is the very last thing on their list of sh*t to deal with.
But think about this: If you knew a person was just diagnosed with cancer, dealing with the death of a family member or was struggling in any way shape or form, would you really want to chew the person out for cutting you off or missing a deadline?
I hope the answer would be no. So, why do we continue to treat people with disrespect? Why do we continue to contribute to the negativity in the world?
Because the sad, but honest, truth is we will never know the extent of how broken people are before we speak to them.
We don't know what their breaking points are and we most certainly do not have the right to abuse or disrespect them, regardless of who they are or what their situation is.
I know the world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but I have come to learn that so many people undervalue the importance of kindness.
As a society, we are so caught up with ourselves, our problems and our emotions that we often forget the impact we have on others.
We lead people to believe that they do not deserve to be treated well.
I have too often been on the receiving end of someone else's fury. I have too often come to the verge of breaking. I have too often wished the world were a kinder place so I could fight my own battles in peace.
Because of all this, I promised myself that I would never treat anyone with anything less than the utmost respect, compassion and kindness.
There is a popular saying that states, "Live every day as if it is your last."
But, I believe in something far more powerful and that is, "Speak to everyone, every day, as if it is his or her last."
We leave people unappreciated, unhappy and undervalued through the lack of kindness we exhibit. We forget that our words hold far more weight than we think.
You don’t have to run around telling everyone they are beautiful and sprinkle glittery confetti over their heads as they walk past. But, when we have the opportunity to converse with one another, why not make it kind?
I guess we all have the power to be kinder in one way or another.
One random act of kindness, a simple compliment or expression of empathy will not only make the person's day, but it will have a profound effect on yours, too.
Sometimes, the power to make the world a better place begins with us.
It may only be a small contribution, but we must never forget that though we can be the problem, we can also be the solution.