Maria Gonzalez Blog
Mindful Leadership

The Impact of One Person’s Kindness

I recently witnessed something beautiful and wanted to share it.

A young man got on the streetcar in front of me and he was using a walker. He was clearly in severe pain.

As he climbed up the steps with his walker, an elderly man sitting in one of the front seats, got up and told him to sit. Then another young fellow who had been sitting behind the elderly man got up to give him his seat, and so it went for another 3 people doing the same, giving their seats for others, in need.

It all happened in less than two minutes and it was a thing of such compassion that it was truly beautiful.

A real blessing to witness.  It brought tears of joy to my eyes…. a gift I wanted to share. It was pure Grace.

As I stood in my spot and looked around I noticed that a real calm had come over the streetcar.  These acts of kindness had impacted everyone who had noticed.  It seemed like a gentler place.  And as people later got off at subsequent stops, they appeared more present, kinder.  There was no pushing to “get out first”.  Suddenly there was a distinct civility.  There were more smiles.

All this because one elderly man, out of kindness, gave his seat to a young man who was struggling and in pain.

That was a true Mindful leader.  Compassion is one of the 9 Ways to be a Mindful Leader.  And a leader is anyone who is in a position to influence another person for any period of time.  When we exhibit kindness or compassion towards one person, not only do we impact that person, but we positively impact and inspire countless others.