{"id":55370,"date":"2025-10-26T09:00:55","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/strobeleducation.com\/?p=55370"},"modified":"2025-10-23T08:05:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T13:05:04","slug":"the-kindness-and-the-people-too-that-stay-with-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/strobeleducation.com\/blog\/the-kindness-and-the-people-too-that-stay-with-me\/","title":{"rendered":"The Kindness\u2014and the People Too\u2014that Stay With Me"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n

This past July, I gave six keynotes in just three days for a school district in El Paso, Texas. And I met some of the kindest people with the biggest hearts. On the very first day, I was pulled over by a police officer named Ricardo Rodriguez because I had crossed a white line while merging. Instead of being harsh, he kindly explained what I did wrong, gave me a warning, and wished me a blessed day.<\/p>\n\n

The next morning, I was out for a five-mile run before my keynote and ducked into a McDonald\u2019s to use the restroom. It had a keycode on the door and said it was for customers only, so I left. An older gentleman who had been sipping coffee, clearly a regular, ran halfway down the block to catch me. \u201cMa\u2019am, I have the keycode,\u201d he said, and handed it to me with a smile.<\/p>\n\n

Every single day in El Paso, I was reminded of the goodness of people. Not just in the keynote sessions, but in the simple, everyday encounters that left me grateful and delighted.<\/p>\n\n

On the fourth keynote day, someone told me that a man in the audience wanted to meet me. His name was Mohammad.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The day before, his wife, Marina, had been in the audience. She snapped a photo of me on stage with one of my quote slides behind me, had it printed, and placed it in a picture frame. She was so moved that she sent Mohammad back the next day to deliver this beautiful gift along with a handwritten letter.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
One line in her note stopped me in my tracks and brought tears to my eyes:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u201cMay God take care of you so you can keep inspiring.\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
I will never forget those words or the kindness behind them. They reminded me of something I deeply believe. At the end of the day, it is always about the people. The research, the strategies, the stories\u2014they all matter. But what matters most is the connection we create with one another and the kindness we choose to show.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
That picture Marina created from my keynote now sits on my office bookshelf. It is a daily reminder of the goodness in people.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Happiness research even backs this up. Practicing random acts of kindness is one of the fastest ways to boost both our own happiness and the happiness of others. When we extend kindness, it not only brightens their day, it also lights up the reward centers in our brain, creating a ripple of joy that circles back to us.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
And kindness does not have to be complicated. Here are a few simple ways you can try it this week:<\/div>\n