You have no idea what the person next to you is going through. Be KIND.

A friendly reminder that life gets hard for each and every one of us and you never know what someone is going through. Let’s make it a little easier on one another and just be kind.

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I woke up feeling extremely lucky today after a fun night out. We danced the night away at my first reggae concert with new friends and good vibes. It was just overall a chill night that will be in my memories for a long time. I am lucky—life is good.

But something kind of hit me today as I was getting ready for work. Life might not be this easy or this good for everyone else right now. I have friends who are fighting their own battles and facing the hardest seasons of their lives and instead of letting it break my heart slowly, I’m here to remind everyone that one of the easiest things we can do to help those hurting is just be kind.

You have absolutely no idea what the person next to you is going through in this very moment. Maybe they just lost a loved one. Maybe they just found out they’re fighting a terminal illness. Maybe they just spent their last few dollars on groceries and they’re wondering how they can afford their bills this month. Maybe it’s a divorce, or a lost pet, or their seventh double-shift in a row at their draining job; whatever it may be, you have the power to help without even knowing it.

Be kind. You don’t even have to go out of your way to offer much help; just the kindness you give can be enough to keep them pushing through to the next day. You have no idea how much power you have just in your actions towards a person who is near their breaking point. I’m asking you to always choose kindness. Have patience when they seem grumpy, or tired, or like they don’t really want to talk to you; take a breath and consider the craziness they might have going on in their life and choose to be kind in your reactions. It might just make all the difference that this person needs right now.

It's one of my favorite things to write about and one of the greatest pieces of advice I think I have to offer— kindness can really go such a long way in changing a person’s day, maybe even their life.

I can’t count the number of tables I’ve served who have gone out of their way before they leave to explain to me that my kind service just made all the difference in their day, their week or their month. I’ve had tables who have had a bad week, or who have just been laid off, or even a few who are going through horrible break-ups who have said that my kindness gave them the little taste of happiness they had been missing; and it literally warms my heart.

Some advice I can give to someone who feels lost in life or just is feeling down in general is to go out and be kind to someone. Not the obvious kind of kind; but the pay it forward or help a stranger to their car with their groceries—the unexpected kind of kind. I promise by helping and giving to others you will instantly lift your own spirits. Try it.

The other thing I love about being a kind human being is that it takes absolutely no skill. You do not have to be smart or talented to be kind to the person next to you. It is an effortless act that requires little to no energy but can have the biggest impact on someone else’s life. One of the coolest things I was told by a friend in college was that you might not be the greatest athlete, or the smartest student, or the prettiest girl at the lunch table; but you definitely can be the nicest one.

Make it a goal to be kind today, tomorrow, and every day that follows because you just don’t know what the person next to you is going through. I really think if we all made more of an effort to respond with love and kindness first; this world would slowly change for the better. Be the change you want to see in the world, right? I challenge you to be a little more kind every single day and see if you can be the difference in someone’s life that they need right now.