This post is sponsored by Nestle Pure Life, however all thoughts, views, and opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

"Kill them with kindness," she said. Over and over and over again.


I didn't understand that advice at all when I was younger, but now that I've grown up, I hold onto it pretty tightly. My sisters have even commented on how good I've gotten at actually doing just that.

I feel that there's a bit of a stigma with that old saying. Some say it's only being fake. Some say it's giving people permission to walk all over you. However, I could not disagree with either of those statements any more than I do already. I solely believe that there is not enough kindness in this world. There aren't enough people who set the bar high for treating people with respect, class, and dignity no matter what the circumstance. There aren't enough people willing to sacrifice their own selfish ways in order to resolve conflict. The world we live in is very me, me, ME. We need to stop underestimating our ability to treat every person that we meet or know with absolute kindness.

If we don't agree with someone's opinions or actions? We can still respect. We can still be kind.
If we don't understand why someone does something? We can still respect. We can still be kind.
If someone hurts us and doesn't apologize or make up for it the way we think they should? We can still respect. We can still be kind.

One of my most favorite quotes comes from an amazing speaker and author named Rick Warren. He says:

"Our culture has accepted two huge lies: The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means that you must agree with everything they believe in or do. Both are complete nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions in order to be compassionate."

I really don't know that there's any better way to put it. I am so thankful that my mother instilled gentle kindness in me. It has made a tremendous impact on who I have become and I couldn't be more proud of that. I believe it's one of the main reasons I have such a passion for working with young children and the mentally disabled. It's taught me compassion, patience, and grace. It's taught me not only to love, but also to serve. It's taught me that no matter what I'm going through, there is always kindness - whether it be in the form of a hug, smile, or simple compliment - and lovely little kindness needs to be passed a long.