Human Kindness

Last night I went to the grocery store just to get a few things; dinner and coffee creamer. When I got there I did not get a basket or cart, remember I was just getting "a few things". Well then I thought to myself, "I really should get something for dinner tomorrow night...oh I want some snacks for work, oh and I need eggs." Having no basket I was piling stuff up in my arms. This is something that I frequently do. In my mind it is a money saver, buy only what you can carry. Well as I was getting my last three things a man walked up to me and insisted that I take his basket. There was some back and forth about me being fine and not needing and he insisting, stating that he does the same thing all the time. Because of my own ego I was resistant. I thought to myself, "I got this, dude! I don't need your basket." I did not see the kind gesture in this man's action because my ego was getting in the way. Since this is the opposite of the kind of person I want to be and I consciously work to not let my ego get in the way, it didn't take to long for me to take the man up on his offer and thank him for his kindness. While staring at the eggs I reminded myself not to let my ego get in the way like I just had. The rest of the evening and all morning I was thinking about human kindness. Sometimes, your mind, heart, and ego have to be open to see it. I thought this guy was being egotistical in his gesture, but that was actually MY ego talking. Once I told myself to get over it I was able to see the gesture for what it was....kindness.

This morning while on my way to work I got stuck behind a slow van. I signaled to get over in the next lane and the oncoming car flashed their lights to acknowledge me and allow me to slide in front of them. Since my mind was focused on kindness I really appreciated this gesture. People just don't do those little things anymore. However small this may seem to some, it was nice. I told myself that this is what I want to cultivate more in my life. So, I am working to pay if forward no matter how small. I let some people in from of me in traffic and flashed my lights to gesture so. 

By being mindful and open we can all cultivate kindness. Open your heart and mind, let go of that ugly ego and you might see more kind gestures that you once missed or mistook for something else. 

While mentally preparing for this blog today I did my daily reading of my favorite blog that I follow. The links to these can be found in the column on the right side of this blog page. I found two posts today that speak of my topic of human kindness. The Yoga Blog: Posted about a homeless man that returned an engagement ring that a woman accidentally gave to him.  MindBodyGreen: Post about "How To Experience A Positive Life Instead Of A Problem-Filled One".  We can use our minds to overcome the ego and cultivate more kindness and open ourselves up to see more kindness.