They do not necessarily have the same culture as you, even if they grew up down the street from you. Living in a different country has proven this to an extreme level. Sometimes treating people the way I want to be treated in Rwanda makes no sense to a Rwandan person because we think and believe different things. I believe being kind can mean being a good listener, showing empathy, caring for others' needs and thinking about others alongside yourself in everything you do. What does being kind mean to you?
2) Have a thoughtful and open mind. What I mean by "thoughtful" is to think! Think before you do and say. I had a really hard time doing that as a pre-teen. I wanted to say anything and everything that I thought, all the time, no matter the cost. I just wanted to be heard. Today, I believe that having a thoughtul mind means thinking before you speak and act. Think about how you will make others feel. Do the words or actions you are about to say or do help or contribute in any way? If not, it would be wise to keep thinking and refrain from doing. Being thoughtful, to me, also happens when you are a good listener. If your neighbor tells you that their favorite candy is Skittles and you bring them a bag of Skittles one day because you heard they were sad, that is being thoughtful. You were thinking about someone's needs and remembered something you could do to cheer them up. You didn't bring them your own favorite candy, you brought them something that was meaningful to them, Skittles. And the only way you knew that was by listening and remembering.
I always thought having an open mind meant going with the flow and being flexible, but now that I have lived here, I think it means much more.
