Turning 40: Notes to My Younger Self. #32 Be Kind

#32. Be Kind

I went to a benefit dinner a few years ago and the speaker talked about regret.

He had interviewed a man who was dying and asked what his biggest regret was. He did not talk about missed items on his bucket list or unacomplished goals.

He really only regretted one thing.

He regretted moments in his life when he could have shown kindness and did not. He regretted moments in which he could have chosen to be better, but did not.

I have sat with this idea ever since that night.

When could I have shown greater kindness? Why did I not? Did I regret not doing so?

Growing up, I was jealous of an individual. I was angry about this and often treated them rudely and unkind. I was often ugly and unfair to them. I laughed when I should not have. I was often not kind.

I wonder how this impacted their life. I wonder how it affected them. I wonder how it changed them.

I am deeply sorry for this.

I regret it. Deeply.

Kindness is not difficult.

The only difficulty is ourselves. We get in our own way and prevent our own self from doing the right thing. We prevent our own kindness.

My dear young self, seek opportunities to be kind. Seek opportunities to be better, to do better. And when you are not kind, and you do not do the right thing, for whatever reason, apologize, ask for forgiveness. When we are old we will regret being unkind long ago, lets not regret being unkind in going forward. Lets be better.