What Do You Expect?

The seasons are changing once again and for many of us, this means colds, the flu and allergens are running rampant on our immune systems.  Telephones, work spaces, and commonly used surfaces are laying in wait as literally conduits to spread germs from one person to another in a seemingly endless chain of transmission. 

Think for a moment about the ease with which all of this occurs. Our senses never detect the approaching onslaught, yet millions are affected, many of whom are left debilitated. In some countries, limited access to basic preventative medicine can spell certain death, but I digress. 

Consider the parallels between the spread of germs and disease and the spread of kindness.

Of course much of the science associated with the spread of germs, disease and allergens cannot apply to the spread of kindness but from a behavioral standpoint, many similarities can be drawn.

Being kind to someone is usually not a dead-end transmission. That kindness passed from one person to another is not absorbed and then left to dissipate or erode away. Kindness is a catalyst. It influences and encourages an equal--perhaps not direct or immediate--or greater reciprocation.

The rule should be, your life experience will reflect what you transmit. If you happen to be a person who lives defensively, in a constant state of aggression, you can expect to receive the same in return. There are also those who view kindness as an entitled service. For those out of touch individuals, presumed kindness could very well be the product of a pay check or the prospect of personal gain.

Genuine, unfiltered kindness begets genuine, unfiltered kindness. Unlike a cold, the flu or an allergic reaction, kindness is rarely forgotten.

Confucius wrote, " Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses."

You can expect to receive what you transmit. So, with that said, what do you expect? And is what you are receiving in line with that expectation?