I see my favorite crop top, bought for a mere 10 bucks at Marshall's, and it reads, KINDNESS IS FREE! Every time I wear it, I get smiles and thumbs up from strangers, which reinforces that shirt and the thought. Kindness is free, but its outcome is anything but free; it is forever valuable.

 

I think now more than ever, kindness is something we need to focus on, not just in our regular lives but in our business as well. I think generating kindness with each other and with the world at large will unlock potential and greatness and many other things that we are seeking. Being kind to others is its own reward and the reward can transcend all the other complicated issues we are struggling with in our lives. The fact that strangers comment and smile when I wear that shirt is an indication that it can change the climate and the situation, and it is so simple I think we forget it sometimes.

 

The Ritz Carlton is known for being swanky and I love it for that and enjoy going there for that. But it is also known for its extreme level of hospitality and kindness. When the leadership speaks to the new teammates, they remind them, “Remember, we are ladies and gentlemen who are here to serve other ladies and gentlemen.” My take today and forever more is, “Remember, we are kind people here to serve other kind people.”

 

Kindness is NEVER forgotten. It trumps so many things. It is a life force that will go past barriers of language, lifestyle, situations, and confusion. I have also found that being kind allows me to have an energy that is open to new ideas and possibilities and unlocks doors that were once locked and unpassable. No one at any time forgets kindness.  

 

It is my wish, my prayer, and my intention that we all remember the value and the need for kindness in the workplace. We as businesspeople have the opportunity to show the world a better way of being. Kindness is FREE but its outcome is priceless… and will change our world!

 

Grateful,

Karen Key Smith