Listen, no one can be kind every single day of their lives. We all get into moods, or have things come up that we can’t control.

That said, plenty of people do their best to face each day with a good, kind attitude regardless of how others respond to them – and if you’re curious how they can manage it, here’s how some folks make it happen!

It’s what they have to give.

I’m not especially strong or educated, I’m not particularly well off and I know I can get carried away and come off as annoying sometimes.

So if I can’t be strong or smart, socially adept or successful I can definitely be kind.

Any given day.

Because i could be the other person.

wherever people make a big deal out of help, I always say ‘Well, I trust you’d do the same for me.’

I had someone reply with “No I wouldn’t, I’m a d*%k” and just said “Well, maybe this was meant to let you reevaluate that.” I kinda wonder if they did, we didn’t know each other very well.

It’s just easier.

Tbh for me it takes a lot of effort to be an a$$.

No like it’s so tiring to be a d*%k, like I’ll get angry at something for a moment and before I know what’s happening the wind has already left my sails and I can’t be f**ked anymore.

Because why not?

I just do it cause why not? Let me tell you of a story: “there once was a king who wanted a pond of milk. He told every single resident MUST give one cup of milk in the hole.

Back then there weren’t streetlights or anything so one person decided ‘i’ll get a glass of water instead. Nobody will notice.’ The next morning, the king checked on his pond.

IT WAS MADE OF WATER! everyone decided to do the same” that shows that if you don’t do something you don’t want to do, then nobody will do it.

The path of least resistance.

Kindness is the easiest route. You won’t get caught up in drama, you avoid avoid fights, people are more apt to help you etc

I’m a naturally meek person. I’d been bullied pretty badly in the past. My coping mechanism was always to smile through it and be kind to whoever was mean to me. It throws them off and makes it harder for them to continue being mean.

I know It’s really difficult to show kindness to people who treat you awful, but it’s often the best way to get people to start treating you with respect. Fighting back and being a d*%k will only make a situation worse, even if you do have to sacrifice some pride.

It makes us like ourselves more.

I try not to reproduce behaviour I don‘t like in other people. Makes me like myself more.

When you live consistent to your values and principles, it builds your self confidence, esteem, and just generally you walk lighter. That’s more than enough reason.

If the only reason you’re kind to people is to get something back, you will always only ever be disappointed.

Do it for yourself.

No expectations.

I don’t expect people to be kind back.

I do it because it’s the right thing not because I’m hoping for any return.

It’s who they are.

I’m kind because I’m kind, not because other people are

I just literally don’t have it in me to be mean or rude. It’s not who I am.

That said, I have gone on a few rants at people who have treated me badly. Alone, in my car.

How they were raised.

I think a lot of it boils down to how you are raised, my dad came from an extremely loving family and my mum didn’t. My dad will do anything for anyone and doesn’t expect something in return and is always pleasently surprised when they reciprocate because that’s how he was raised. My mum made the conscious decision that she would never be like her family and is right there with my dad.

They are both so supportive of me and my brother, and by extension all of our friends because they see anyone who is part of their life a family. Lost count of the amount of times growing up we had friends stay with us because they had fallen out with their own parents.

I try to do the same, and raise my girls the same.

We’ve all been there.

Because I know how it feels when you’re down and your day/week/month/year just f**king sucks, and if there’s a chance I can make just one person who feels like that have a better day and feel good for a bit, then it’s worth it.

It makes them less angry.

I try to embody this mindset so much.

Being a dwarf, I get a lot of s**t from people: shouting on the street, pointing, people filming me and taking photos of me, asking me invasive questions, generally making rude statements about me or expressing weird assumptions.

It gets tiring and sometimes downright upsetting, for sure, but I never want to let that feed into how I interact with people in general. As soon as I am a dick to someone preemptively, without cause, I have just ruined an opportunity to have a positive new connection in my life. People can and will often surprise you, and even people who may seem ignorant or rude at first can change dramatically if I don’t just shut them down from the offset.

There is a line, of course. If someone is a complete unapologetic ass – fuck them. I’m not against standing up for myself and I have had to cut ties with people before, but in milder situations, people have the capacity to change and it’s kind of wasted potential to not encourage that, whether it is through empathy or kindness.

I used to let all of this get to me. I would be so angry and miserable, every day. I hated everyone. But eventually, I realised that empathising with people is a win for both parties: understanding where a person is coming from (not excusing it, but understanding it) made me less angry, and in turn allowed for them to not get defensive or aggressive like they would if they were just pegged as a monster. Eventually, empathy just became easier. It made me happier, and it took less of a toll on my mindset.

Someone you needed.

As a pushing 40 gal, I remember how rarely I got compliments after age 11 , so I try and compliment 1 stranger (usually female) every day. I work with 90 % men so I compliment them frequently as I know men don’t hear it enough too but complimenting strange men in public can backfire.

Last week I was at the mall and while passing by the food court I Saw a 15-ish-year-old girl With the most vibrantly orange hair. It was adorable and she looked like an anime character. So I made it special point to complement her on her hair and how gorgeous and looked.

Girl lit up like the Fourth of July. Said to her friend as I was leaving “I cant believe she liked my hair!” It wasn’t until I got home and was changing into my Dinosaur comfy clothes that I realized that I’m probably her mom’s age, I was like in a professional business suit/heels/pantyhose and looked like a real-got-it-together grown up and not someone who appreciates a 15 yr old neon orange box manic panic hair.

Something I read came back to me “ Be the someone you needed when you were younger”

Life is hard enough.

I just think you shouldn’t make anyone else’s life harder than it already is.

It’s so simple.

When I was in high school, I was super into the goth look and wore those “bondage pants” covered in straps and chains. My family laughed at me a lot.

But whenever I went to visit friends in Montana, the little old ladies at Walmart would surprise me with unexpected compliments! “I love your pants! Where did you get those? I’d like to get some for my grandson!”

So glad my husband’s mother is that sort of lady too. She’s got bright purple/blue hair and she’s developing a habit of buying me cool clothes that she likes but feels like she can’t wear, like loose tie-dye cloth overalls.

Kind and nice are not the same thing.

You should not be nice to someone who is a dick to you. You should be kind. You can absolutely kindly point out, “Listen, this thing you did is not acceptable to me, and if we’re going to move forward here, it can’t happen again.”

I’ve been managing people and working in customer service for a long time. People walk into my job and expect to be nice, and get walked all over by clients and employees.

Kindness, not niceness, is key. The kindest thing you can do is give someone a chance to improve.

Make their day a little better.

This is exactly why I have a tray set out on the front porch with bottles of water, Gatorade, and various snacks like bags of peanuts, beef sticks, and a variety of candy for our delivery drivers.

I know their job can be stressful and they don’t always work under the best conditions, so I do what I can to make their day a little better. We receive a lot of deliveries, and every time I see one of them smiling after reading the note I left out their with the snacks, it makes my own day better as well.

I have the cutest video clip from my front door cam of a FedEx driver running toward the front porch with the excitement of a child after he spotted a box of sour patch kids. As he was running, he cried out “Oh! SOUR PATCH KIDS???” He put the package down on the table and said “Oh my god. This is awesome! I love this. Thank you!” before hopping off the porch while practically clicking his heels and running back to his truck with a spring in his step. That reaction made me feel happy for days.

The path should be beautiful.

Life is HARD. People go through s*%t. Also, having less empathy is often genetic, neurological, mental health, and gut bacteria related. (There should be consequences for hurtful behavior and actions, but people themselves are a f**king mess of complications). I don’t need people to be kind to me, because I have a lot of beauty in my life.

I want everyone else to enjoy the beauty in their lives, too, even with the struggles. I want them to thrive alongside the pain. I want them to be as happy and well as possible. I don’t want anyone to be stuck in suffering because life is short, and the reasons you may be a dick are complex.

Your life is happening right now. It’s passing by. What beauty is passing by that you just don’t see? Can I make your path a bit more beautiful with a little kindness?

I think there is some very insightful advice here.

Also, maybe take time every day to meditate.