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Max Titov

$2

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What is the cost of a happy go lucky feeling at the core of your stomach?

Apparently it’s $2.

I was standing in line waiting to pay for a pouch of peanuts [retail value $0.85]. An elderly woman was standing in front of me. She carefully examined her collection of goodies: a midsize bag of corn and a small pouch of chocolates.

Taking her time she slowly asked about the cost of each item; the clerk informed her of the prices:

Corn: $3.58
Chocolate: $2.00

She paused, contemplated, looked at her tiny wallet, looked back at the clerk and finally [with a sigh] asked to take the chocolates off her bill.

Six months ago I would stand there and do nothing; I would probably be annoyed by the delay and would storm off feeling irritated. Today, I gently tapped her on the shoulder, extended my hand, smiled and offered a toonie.

Dear reader, I am not the type of a person who would naturally come off as a gentle person. I don’t usually exude peace and good will. People would likely mistake me for a serious, quiet, confrontational type. So it could have been possible that the woman would have reacted defensively. But she didn’t. She graciously accepted my gesture with a smile and gratitude.

I hope that this little act of kindness made her day. I hope those chocolates remind her of the kindness of strangers. I hope that you my dear reader consider the possibility of offering a helping hand when an opportunity presents itself.

Cheers

Max Titov

Kindness: what limits us?

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It’s the holiday season: we open our homes and our hearts to the possibility of making a connection with others.  We look at everything that was accomplished, examine the things that could have been better, unwind and toast to the new beginnings that bound to take shape in the new and upcoming year.

For some surviving the holiday season is not a walk in the park. For those of us who have family, friends, and an endless list of acquaintances the process is a marathon that requires, skill, patience, and determination.

After reading a heartwarming article titled A Self Love Holiday Guide #3 it became evident that another important quality is kindness.

I’ve considered the following question: what gets in a way of being kind?

My question for you dear reader is: is kindness a natural act for you?  Do you have to work at it?  Were you raised to be kind or did you have to learn it?

Reflecting on the last few years I can honestly say that I had a very different view of what kindness was.  I would probably classify the idea with something that would resemble a weakness. Furthermore I would likely struggle with the concept of being consciously kind to others.

For me, what gets in the way is the idea of projecting my own ideas and believes on to others.  So in a way, being kind to another comes as a result of acceptance.  I consider my actions to be generally kind but they are not because I try to win over the affections of another person; I just choose to live my life this way because it’s easier for me.

There’s a general feel in our social environment which suggests that you should be kind to others in order to get something in return.

I invite you dear reader to consider the following: instead of expecting something from others [which will likely happen anyway] consider that by being kind you’re letting go of all the negativity that burden your mind.  Consider the possibility that by being kind you’re freeing yourself from the clutter and overwhelming stress.

I invite you to be kind not for others, but for yourself.

 

Have a wonderful day dear reader,

Max