Thanks Stefan Einhorn, now I don’t feel wimpy or stupid. Wait; let’s backtrack a minute here. In his Leadel.NET interview, Stefan talks about something I’ve been doing as long as I can remember: being kind. Sometimes to a fault even. Stefan tells us it’s not just cute to be kind, there is medical proof that it’s good for you.

Now, to say some people are innately nice or kind and others aren’t is a stretch, but I’d have to say I’ve always been predisposed to just being kind. I think it’s easier, contrary to popular opinion. Maybe it’s my American indoctrination, but when I walk into a store I tend to be nice to the people around me, even if they aren’t nice to me. While Americans may take the whole “let’s be polite all the time” thing too seriously, I think there is a connection between being polite and being kind. But I digress; we’re really talking about kindness here.

As it turns out, being kind to someone makes you feel good. Now that’s no shock to those who adhere to being kind as a rule. You get that nice warm feeling somewhere in the cockles of your heart. It reminds us that, hey, we’re all human here trying to get along with our lives. Being kind to others does them good and it makes you feel good too. Naysayers will tell us we’re naïve and foolish. That it’s no way to get ahead. Yet medical research shows we’re physiologically better for it.  We feel good and we’re better off for it. In fact, being kind sets off the same synapses that would go off in your brain if you were on drugs. This brings new meaning to the phrase that always made me cringe, “high on life.”

So when you run into me in the market and I let someone else with kids ahead of me in line, or ask the cashier how they’re doing that evening, don’t think of me as that oddly nice guy. You’ll know my motives are purely selfish, because being kind is just good for you.