During a particularly difficult week, I scrolled through Facebook and paused on a post reporting that a local Starbucks gave out customers' orders for free with no explanation. Baristas answered inquiries with merely "Have a wonderful day." Even though I wasn't a customer, I found myself imagining my reaction to the barista.
"Why?"
Maybe I wouldn't say it out loud, but perhaps the look of surprise on my face would give it away. My imagined reaction didn't come from a place of paranoia, although for some it could. The question came from a realization that this business was choosing to lose money in their act of kindness. Why would they choose to do that? Gaining a few loyal customers didn't seem like a worthwhile strategy considering what it would inevitably cost them.
They gave no answer. They simply said, "have a wonderful day."
What struck me about this interchange is that this act of kindness rested on a single value- worthiness. Starbucks determined the people it served as worth more than the cost. Each was worthy of kindness, not because they earned it or deserved it, but simply because they exist.
It is amazing how easy it is for kindness to slip from our minds in daily interactions with each other. The closer the relationship, the more we take for granted that the person will love us unconditionally. We expect them to be understanding when we've had a bad day or when we have disappointed them.
And yet, we are the first to point out their unkind tone when the roles are reversed. Perhaps Starbucks has it easy. Being kind to a stranger cost them only a latte and banana nut muffin at wholesale. But being kind in the relationships around us costs far more, so much so that we are shocked when a business schools us on how to treat one another.
Is it just me? Or perhaps you could stand to experience a little more kindness, too?
Kindness can feel like it should be linked to worthiness. It is only costly when we have to sacrifice something within us that wants to make it conditional. Choosing to be kind to my spouse when he or she comes home with a bad attitude is a gift, not an exchange of currency.
But what if your heart has been hurt by others' lack of kindness? What if you simply feel you have nothing to offer?
That is what I love most about the Starbucks story. They didn't have an answer except for "have a wonderful day." They didn't say whether they "felt" like being kind or what "moved" them towards kindness. They just handed out warm beverages with a smile.
Sometimes we choose a specific behavior and our feelings follow.
Every marriage or relationship has patterns. If we look closely, we will find how we trigger each other into what some experts call a "crazy cycle," or the pattern of usual escalating conflict. The only way to interrupt the crazy cycle in your relationship is to do something different by starting a new pattern. Unfortunately, if you wait until you "feel like it" in the middle of an intense argument, it will never happen.
You must behave differently and your feelings will follow. This usually begins with a willingness to be kind.
Also difficult is having the courage to be kind to ourselves. Far too often I see individuals that give others the benefit of the doubt while internally whipping themselves into submission with shame. Being kind to yourself is also a virtue dependent on worthiness. You do not deserve kindness or forgiveness, you are worthy of it because you are alive. In fact, those you love are impacted by whether you are willing to extend kindness to yourself -- especially children.
In the words of Brene Brown, "'You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging."
But the best part about kindness is how contagious it is. Here I was, struck by the impact of this simple act of kindness in a coffee shop three states away. I didn't even benefit from a free warm beverage, but I don't really think that was Starbuck's point. The message I received, from a Facebook post no less, was that one act can change things.
A shift in your own sense of worth impacts your home. Kindness towards your spouse can change your marriage. Kindness towards those around you can spread infinitely beyond what you can imagine.
Are you still having trouble with this idea? Here are a couple of ways you can bring kindness into your relationship today.
- Tell your spouse you love them without prompting.
- Make your spouse their favorite meal.
- Choose to end an argument rather than defending your point or being right.
- Forgive your spouse for something you have been holding over them for far too long.
- Surprise them with a latte and a banana nut muffin.
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