The Man In The Suit
Standing at the front entrance of the building I work in I was waiting for my husband, Dave, to drive by and drop something off.
My building is downtown on a street lined with shops and businesses. While I was waiting, I saw a parking enforcement attendant standing in front of a car across the street. The car was parked in front of a men’s clothing store and the meter had expired. The attendant proceeded to write a ticket which they dutifully placed under the windshield wiper blade on the driver’s side of the car.
While the attendant was finishing up his work, three people came out of the men’s wear store, one of whom was dressed in a suit. The man in the suit spoke briefly to the attendant and took the ticket from underneath the wiper blade. The two other people got in the car, the attendant left and the man in the suit went back into the store.
I had just witnessed a random act of kindness. The man in the suit was an employee at the men’s wear store. He had just escorted his two customers to their car and when he saw the ticket, he took it rather than making the customers take it. He was going to pay the ticket on the customer’s behalf and cover their cost.
I was impressed. It was not the employee’s fault that the customer had not put enough money into the meter; that was the customer’s responsibility. However, the man in the suit extended an act of kindness.
We live in a very unkind world; a world that is in great need of kindness. As I watched this episode unfold several things struck me about the kindness of the man in the suit:
· He valued his customer’s business.
· He valued his relationship with the customer.
· He covered the cost of someone else’s mistake.
When was the last time someone extended kindness to you? Can you recall a time when someone showed that they valued their relationship with you? Was there a time when someone came along and covered the cost of a mistake you had made? How did that make you feel?
It goes both ways. When was the last time you extended kindness to someone, showing that you value your relationship with them? Have you ever had an opportunity to cover the cost of someone else’s mistake?
You and I have opportunities every day to make the world a better place. Our world needs kindness. The man in the suit had no idea I was watching; that I saw what he did. Likewise, you never know who might be watching as you extend kindness to someone else.
Who has shown you kindness in the past?
Is there someone today that you can show kindness to?
Recommended Resources
- The Mindset Mentor Podcast (4:11) – “The World Needs More Kindness” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=orKkGljXP1M
Monthly Challenge
- Set aside 5 – 10 minutes to watch “The World Needs More Kindness”; it is powerful. Reflect on what this might mean in your life.