Leave an Impact

When we were asked to brainstorm about this idea in class, I had a lot of trouble thinking of anything to write down. It's a pretty broad question, and I feel as though I'm still developing ways I can impact those around me and the ideas that I have for my community and my future. If I had taken this class as a first year, I probably would have written about something solid and definitive, like the career I hope to have eventually. Last Tuesday, however, I found myself writing about kindness.

Being kind is not some big, overarching idea that needs to be worked toward. It can be performed in an instant or over a lifetime, but it's often overlooked in lieu of what we deem more important: work, progress, relationships, life. My vision involves all of us inserting kindness into each of these themes and sitting back to watch the great things that happen. Did you have a tough middle school/junior high/high school experience? I know I did (Thanks again, Bonnie, for all those years of homeschooling to prepare me for the experience), and thinking about how much easier that atmosphere would have been to integrate into with support and understanding makes me question the values that we all have behind our intentions. Are they the same ones that we would want to raise our kids with? Some general thoughts:

• Not everyone can make themselves vulnerable.
  This is something that it took me a long time to realize--even if I'm quiet, I try to put meaning and honesty into everything I say. If you're like that, too, try to understand that not everyone operates this way (few people do). If you don't identify with this type of communication, I suggest having a vulnerable conversation with someone; it's so meaningful and makes you open up a lot more than you probably thought you could. 
• Being able to relate to others is a skill.
  Not everyone is like you. In fact, no one is like you. You're surrounded by people with similar economic backgrounds--and if you're in a student org, you're surrounded by people with similar values. But you're also surrounded by people with vastly different backgrounds and upbringings, with different life experiences that you cannot even begin to imagine. One of my favorite sayings tells us to be kind to everyone we meet, because they're going through a battle we don't know about. Although it's a little dramatic, it's true. Do your best to relate to everyone you interact with, especially in meaningful relationships. If you can't relate to a person, you're unable to perceptualize their situation and how hard or long it might be. 
• I thought I had a third point but I don't. And just two bullet points looks dumb. 

Be kind. :)