“Anger is like fire, it can only grow to do more damage. Nothing puts those fires out better than kindness.”-Rayna Rose Exelbierd
I almost got so angry this morning when I got cut off in a long drive through line. See how it all turned around in less than a minute. We can reach for more in any situation. There is a difference between a response and a reaction.
This story wouldn’t have been possible without my best friend Chelsea and her Mom gifting me a Starbucks gift card.
This morning I was waiting to get my coffee and these two women cut me off and skipped me in what had been a very long line. I won’t lie. I got mad real fast. Seeing these two girls laugh at me and high fiving definitely made me angrier. After feeling this way for about 20 seconds, I let the person taking my order know what happened and decided to BUY THEIR COFFEE. It was hilarious.
The employees told me the girls were shocked, couldn’t stop smiling, and laughed at each other when they heard the news. One of the employees was so moved, she split the costs with me. A few of the employees came up to the window telling me how much they loved my reaction. I told them in Tennessee we have a saying, you catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar. These girls were mean, but it was worth every cent of maxing out my gift card to teach us both a lesson.
Life is too short to get angry over things you can’t control. If people want to be rude, smile in their face, and respond with kindness. I have no idea if I challenged their behavior, but I know for a fact, for a second, they were inspired to consider another perspective.
Since sharing this story some have asked if this was rewarding bad behavior? I say no because these women will always wonder why I bought their drinks. No one wants to spend their entire life a bully and I imagine one day both women will grow to understand why I chose kindness instead of anger.
The Rose Grows. ❤
Rayna Rose Exelbierd is the Chief Empowerment Officer (CEO)of The Rose Grows. She works as a motivational speaker and mentor for high school students. Rayna Rose is passionate about empowering teens to leverage their strengths through social impact and communication to make the world a better place, create opportunities, and increase their confidence.
For more information visit TheRoseGrows.com
Leave A Comment