JL Collins (A Simple Path to Wealth author) would have you believe that investing in broad-based, low-cost stock index funds provides you with the greatest return on investment. I disagree.
Daily acts of kindness provide the greatest immediate and long-term returns.
The best thing about acts of kindness is that they benefit both the person being kind and the kindee.
Kindee Returns
- Makes you feel good
- Picks you up when you’re having an off day
- Primes you to pass on the kindness
- Give you hope for humanity (a little melodramatic, but you start focusing on the inherent good in people when you receive kindness)
Person Being Kind Returns
- Makes you feel good
- Given the benefit of the doubt
- Educators have dozens of interactions with families over the school year (and multiple school years). At some point an issue will arise with a given student. A family is going to be more receptive, or forgiving (depending on the situation), with an educator if that educator has shown them consistent kindness.
- Kindness is returned
- Kindness is contagious
- If a principal sets the tone by showing kindness across the board, that tends to make its way to the rest of the staff. When kindness becomes the standard in a school, far less problems make their way to the principal’s desk.
To be honest, I felt a little weird listing the benefits of being kind, because being kind is just the right thing to do. Most people should know that, but unfortunately they do not. Maybe the list can serve to help people build habits. If their kindness starts from a desire to improve their own station, maybe it’ll transform into being kind simply for kindness’ sake.
My examples of the benefits for the person providing the kindness are specific to my role as an educator and principal. Even though I’ve never worked in a profession outside of education (sans my early work as a paperboy, grocer, camp counselor, golf course snack stand attendant, soccer referee, and security guard*), I am positive that the benefits of kindness breach the walls of other occupations.
Smart financial investing is a win. Showing kindness is a win-win. Even JL Collins can’t argue with the argument that 2>1.
*Although I carry my 5’9” frame more like 5’11”, my security role largely involved me pretending to thoroughly search sports patrons as they snuck airplane bottles of booze into games.