Our backs are up so often that we have come to assume it's easier to be defensive and self-serving. But when you release that you find that it actually takes less effort to be kind.
Simply holding the door for the person behind you means that you don't have to waste mental space making excuses about how "they're too far away" or "what a rush you're in" or whatever grumble you tell yourself. Don't discount how much of your energy that kind of negative self-talk takes. Then, multiply that by how often in a day that might happen and you get a sense of the toll it can take. How that can start to create a negative cloud around everything in your life.
Combine that with the fact that sometimes we react to negativity with more negativity. The coffee shop worker had a bad morning, gets your order wrong or is short with you. Then, you take it personally eventually transferring it to the next person you see. It creates a chain reaction of bad feelings that infects everyone and everything.
Instead, hold the door, feel empathy for the barista, smile. It takes that little effort to make the world a better place.
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