Kindness Doesn't Just Bless Others

it actually transforms your own life

“The kinder and more intelligent a person is, the more kindness he can find in other people. Kindness enriches our life; with kindness mysterious things become clear, difficult things become easy, and dull things become cheerful.” –Leo Tolstoy

I heard this quote at a retreat, and it really moved me.

Because it’s so true.

The kinder you are, the more kindness you find—it’s really as simple as that.

A few months ago, I was on a trip with my sisters. We were in the elevator, giggling and talking, when the doors opened and a woman walked in. We instantly went silent. You know that awkward moment when your fun suddenly feels too loud in front of a stranger?

She looked kind of annoyed, and I thought, if we keep laughing, she’s going to get irritated.

But then I remembered the calling of kindness.

So I stepped a little out of my comfort zone and said, “Hi! How’s your morning going?”

To my surprise, she lit up with the warmest smile. She thanked us for asking and told us about her morning coffee and plans for the day. We chatted until we reached her floor, and when she stepped out, I realized something:

Her kindness was only revealed because I offered mine first.

Had I stayed quiet, I would’ve walked away assuming she was grouchy. Instead, I discovered how kind she really was.

Another time, I was in an Uber headed back to school after a long flight. It was going to be an hour and a half drive, and honestly, I just wanted to put my AirPods in and zone out. But I thought about how cheerful my driver had been helping me with my bags, and I wondered how his day was going.

So I asked.

That simple question led to a conversation about hobbies, then family, then life calling—and finally, faith. For the next hour and a half, we shared one of the most life-giving conversations I’ve ever had with a stranger. By the time we reached campus, he even went out of his way to help me find my car (which, of course, I’d forgotten where I parked).

I got out of that Uber more energized and joyful than when I got in.

Kindness really does rub off on kindness.

Just like negativity rubs off on negativity.

Whatever you offer is usually what multiplies in your life. When you give out frustration, you often receive frustration in return. But when you give out kindness, the world around you becomes a much kinder place.

And it’s not about being fake, forcing niceties, or being naive about the realities of the world. In a countercultural way, I truly believe kindness calls people to the best of who they were created to be.

That’s not to say there haven’t been moments when my kindness wasn’t met with kindness in return. I’m sure you can think of your own examples too. But overall, kindness has changed my heart and my life.

One of my goals is to live with as much kindness as possible. Not because it makes me look better, or even because it blesses others—though it often does.

But because kindness itself enriches my life. It transforms ordinary moments into extraordinary ones.

Tolstoy was right: with kindness, dull things become cheerful, difficult things become easy, and life itself–

well, it becomes more beautiful.

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