I've never gotten in trouble for being kind to others. But I've often had to clean up my mess when I was rude or impolite.
I believe that kindness is a way to travel through life. A way that pays dividends on many different levels. When we're kind to others, it seems like the universe opens up and rewards us. We feel better about ourselves and have less stress.
I remember that I once had an aunt who wasn't very well liked. She lived in northern California, in a small home that she and her husband had built. And she remained there after he died of cancer, living by herself even though she was legally blind. She had other relatives living in town, including nieces and a sister. But because of their attitude toward her, none visited or offered to take her shopping or help her in any way. She was pretty much on her own.
However, after my mother passed away I developed a relationship with my aunt because she and my mother had a close relationship. I guess at first I connected with her because it was some sort of link to my late mother. When I would call or visit her we would spend a lot of time talking about their childhood together and experiences they had shared as adults. Eventually, when she got sick she came to live with me in Arizona and remained with me until she passed on.
Before she passed away she told me that because of my kindness she wasn't leaving anything to anyone except me. I didn't pay much attention to her because as far as I knew she didn't have much of anything other than the small house in California, which didn't appear to be worth much. But I was surprised at how much she did leave me. And I later reflected that sometimes a little kindness sometimes brings surprising results.
If we walk through life with the idea of being kind to everyone it can open a lot of doors for us, just as being unkind can make people not want to be around us.
I've been kind to some people and had them take advantage of my kindness. I've loaned them money. Or given them business opportunities. Only to have them burn me.
But for some reason, I don't let this kind of stuff bothered me because as a general rule the world will bless us when were kind to others – just as it will punish us when we are evil to others.
