Why You Should Be Kinder To Strangers

One day after seeing a movie at the Cinema, I went out with some friends to a popular restaurant. As we took our seats and made towards the counter to place our orders, I noticed one young lady who was attending to the customers and serving them their meals.

She was well dressed, neat, smart looking and attractive. However, one thing was missing from her, she wasn't smiling. She was attending to the customers in a melancholic manner. So, we waited until she was done, then she came to attend to us.

When she came to us and asked for our orders, I wanted to immediately tell her what we wanted just like every other customer before us, but instead I smiled at her and quickly noticed the name "Victoria" written on her crest.

I asked her, "Is your name Victoria?" "Yes," she answered with a genuine smile. "You've got such a nice name," I continued "Where are you from?" .. She told me and she also asked for my name too with a beautiful smile. I told her too and then we placed our orders.

I observed that she became visibly happier after our brief conversation - the way she carefully served our food and attended to us said it all. The smile hardly left her face after that. There seemed to be a new charisma with the way she attended to other customers after that.

Then I began to wonder.. What if I never bothered about this girl or spoke to her? What if I just placed my order without caring about her? Would that smile be on her face now?

Sometimes, what people need from you to change their attitude and disposition is simply a kind word or genuine care about them. It's not necessarily all about money or material things. A reassuring smile or a mild conversation can do a lot.

We've become so accustomed to only our family and friends that every other person becomes an alien to us. We don't care for strangers. And I think that's why some problems facing us are still prevalent.

A stranger is a human being like you who wants the same things you desire as a human being. Just as you need people to care about you, love you or appreciate what you do, a stranger needs the same reassurance as well.

See that stranger out there as someone like you. Try and make him/her happy in the little way you can. You may be saving a life or even stop someone from carrying out a bad mission.

Psychologically, some people are often driven to do dangerous things when they feel unloved OR uncared for. Help that stranger in any little way you can and try to make him/her feel at home.

I understand that our human nature wants us to do things usually for personal interest, profit or gain. This is not bad. By all means, your personal interests really matters and must never be neglected, but sometimes we must try to do things without expectation. Let us learn to do things just for the sake of another person. Saying a kind word, smiling or helping a stranger out doesn't take away anything from you. Why not just do so?

I was on a bike with a commercial motorcyclist and I just asked him about how his day had been. He was so happy to tell me about his experiences as a motorcyclist and I could sense the excitement in his voice. When I got to my destination, he decided to collect less than the amount he charged me. He smiled at me and said he likes my attitude. I was really touched.

We can make the world a better place by being kinder to strangers. They are not different from us as we have come to believe. They are human beings with needs just like you. Try putting yourself in their shoes and you will understand their needs.

Be kind to a stranger today. You could touch a life, change someone's decision, stop a robbery or terrorist attack, prevent suicide, improve work ethics etc

This is the attitude a winner must imbibe.. being kind not just to only family and friends, but also strangers.

Keep Winning!