What we do is an echo of who we are….

What we say and what we do influences more people than I believe we realize. Yes, the people closest to us are touched the most by our words and actions, but there so many others we don’t stop to think about most of the time. The guy you cut in front of while driving to work because you were running late and not paying attention, the old lady you smiled at while in line at the grocery store, the lady that you helped when she dropped her stack of papers, the young boy you rushed off that was trying to sell pizzas for his youth group, and countless others we come across in our day to day doings that we often forget about before the end of the day. We have also been the one who has been sworn at, cut in front of, helped, been shown a kindness, and so forth. Usually when we’re the ones who are receiver, we tend to remember those random people we deal with, but not always when we’re the giver.

It’s easier to brush things off when we’re rude to a stranger because we think they’ll just forget about it; I mean we were able to forget the days events, so it should be a piece of cake for them, right? This world has been going downhill for a long time and a large part of it is because we have forgotten how to be kind to those around us. Whether it’s harsh or kind, things done to us stick with us for awhile and we often act in the rush of the moment. If people are being kind to us, we tend to smile more, be more polite, and are more willing to lend a helping hand. So the reverse is true, if we have people yelling at us all day, being rude, and insensitive, it’s so easy to slip into that same behavior.

I wish this world was kinder. We all have bad days and it is easier said than done not to let it get to us, not to take it out on someone else. I have been the giver of harsh words and rude actions myself. I feel horrible later, but what’s done is done and most times I can’t apologize to the one I offended. It’s not always easy to remember it’s not just about us, but it’s something I think we could all try a lot harder to remember. An act of kindness goes a long way, but so does an act of rudeness. My sentiment for today is, let us try to think of others, be kinder, and not take our problems out on others…whether it be those close to us or the strangers we may never encounter again. What we do is an echo of who we are, what do you want to hear reverberate in others ears?