Kindness

I was having the worst day of my life. I'd just lost my job, my car had broken down, and I was sitting in a coffee shop trying not to cry into my laptop while job hunting.

That's when the barista, a young woman named Maya, quietly placed a fresh muffin next to my coffee. "On the house," she whispered with a warm smile. "You look like you could use some sweetness today."

It was such a small gesture, but it completely shifted my day. Not just because of the free muffin, but because someone had noticed I was struggling and chose to care.

That moment taught me that kindness doesn't require grand gestures or deep pockets. Sometimes the most powerful acts of kindness are the smallest ones—a smile, a listening ear, a moment of genuine attention.

Now, whenever I see someone having a tough day, I try to be their Maya. Because I learned that day that kindness is contagious, and we all have the power to be someone's bright spot.

As a manager, I used to think kindness was a "nice-to-have" rather than a business necessity. I was wrong.

Three years ago, our team was struggling with high turnover, low morale, and missed deadlines. The atmosphere was tense, competitive, and frankly, unkind.

I decided to experiment with what I called "intentional kindness." I started small: remembering birthdays, asking about people's weekends, acknowledging good work publicly, and offering help when someone was overwhelmed.

The transformation was remarkable. Within six months, our team retention improved by 40%, productivity increased, and people actually started looking forward to coming to work.

Kindness isn't weakness in leadership—it's strength. It builds trust, encourages collaboration, and creates an environment where people can do their best work.

Now, kindness is a core value in our hiring process and performance reviews. Because I've learned that successful teams aren't just skilled—they're kind.

My 8-year-old daughter came home from school crying because kids were making fun of her classmate's lunch. "Why are people so mean, Mom?" she asked.

It broke my heart, but it also gave me an opportunity to talk about kindness as a choice—and a superpower.

We talked about how being different isn't bad, how everyone deserves respect, and how she could be the person who stands up for others. The next day, she sat with the boy at lunch and asked about his food. Soon, other kids joined them.

Teaching kindness isn't just about telling kids to "be nice." It's about modeling empathy, discussing difficult situations, and showing them that their actions matter.

We practice kindness at home through family service projects, gratitude discussions, and celebrating when we see kindness in action. Because raising kind kids isn't just good for them—it's good for the world they'll inherit.