Be Kind

 It seems simple enough to say this, but:

Be kind to one another.

Even the worst treatment doesn't deserve to be reciprocated in kind.  But rather, in my mind, it takes a greater sense of fortitude and courage not to respond that way.  Being right doesn't mean we have to be rude, uncouth, or violent.  And often, if you are that way when you're right, few people will want to listen to what you have to say.

Being kind isn't just about others, though.  Being kind means to also treat yourself with compassion and understanding.  None of us are perfect.  It's okay to be wrong.  It's okay to mess up.  Learn from the experience and move on.  Don't continually beat yourself up over it.  Doing so often hurts more than just yourself.

So rather than throw anger back in the face of anger--like throwing gasoline at a fire, let's meet anger with compassion.  Let's seek to understand rather than condemn.  Let's lead by an example we desire to be rather than an example of what we don't want to be.

But most of all, let's be kind to one another and ourselves.