Through our lives we encounter different types of people who are successful. Some we look up to and some who teach what we should not be. No matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. And this is exactly what came to my mind when I saw this pic when I was scrolling through my Instagram feed. I think it’s a message we forget all too often, especially in our celebrity-worshiping, superiority-complex-having society.
The media taught us from a very early age that beauty is measured by what’s on the outside, that those with money deserve power, that power demands respect, and that education is synonymous with intelligence.
Worst of all, we’re taught that those with any or all of the above are somehow better than us. That their lives matter more.
There is one thing- and one thing alone- that determines the type of person you truly are: how you treat people. All people. That starts by realizing that we’re all equal.
We need to let go of this idea that one person is somehow better than another just because they make more money, went to school longer, dress better, have a smaller waist or a more viral Instagram account. None of those things make you better than me or me better than you.
Judge a person not by how he treats you, but how he treats others. The former reflects what he wants you to think of him, the latter truly reflects who he is
Betty Jamie Chung
Let me tell you, money can’t buy a personality or brains. Four years of Ds can still earn you a degree. Outer beauty fades. Waistlines expand. In other words, none of those things are real and none of them tell you a single thing about a person’s true nature.
When you strip away the size of your bank account, following, or IQ, you’re left with the true measure of your worth- the size of your heart (metaphorically speaking, of course). If you ask me, I think a big heart beats a big bank account or brains any day!
I was raised to treat the janitor the same as I treat the CEO.
Janelle Monae
It’s easy to admire those with a certain title or job position but what we can’t tell from those things is who that person is. Although we may look up to someone for their achievements, true admiration comes when we see someone treat another person with respect and kindness even though they have no obligation to.
It is easy to go through life only thinking of yourself and what your needs are, but when you extend compassion to others is when you truly contribute to the world. When you give the same respect to every person, you effect people more than you realize. The small acts of kindness you extent turn into a snowball of happiness through people passing it forward.
I’m sure we have all experienced an interaction with someone that brightened our day. These come from true connections with people who show compassion towards us and can completely alter our attitude. Let’s all shine a light in other people’s lives by interacting with empathy and leading with character!
Kenrick Vaz 