I saw a post on Facebook recently. It said if you can choose to be anything, be kind. Of course like all trite sayings, this is not quite as easy as it sounds. I know some people have mental illnesses that mean their behaviour is not always their own. They cannot always express their moods as they want to and their interactions with others suffer. Another group of people have experienced many tragedies in their life and are understandably grumpy and gloomy. Some people are not morning people, and cannot face the day until they have had their morning shower, or their first or second cup of coffee, or until the sun well leaves the horizon. Teenagers often go through stages when they are in bad moods for extended periods of time.
However for the majority of us, we do have the ability to control our moods. When I wake up, I can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood. Oh sure problems from the day before might affect my mood. Or if I am woken up early by unwanted noise, I might react badly. But generally, each morning, my mood is in my hands. I can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood.
The same holds true if I am meeting others. Strangers can evoke many emotions. Some people immediately criticise others. They are different. They don't do things like we do. They don't always act like we do. Some people treat strangers with fear. They subtly and blatantly discriminate against them.
I choose to treat the stranger with kindness. What can I learn from these strangers? What can I share with them? And how can we work together to make the chasms between us disappear. I choose to smile at people rather than retreat in fear. I choose to offer a friendly handshake rather than greet the other brandishing a spear. Life is short. I choose to meet it positively then negatively. Join me. Blessings
