Snow White and the Power of Kindness

Quick, name all of the seven dwarves! If you can name all 7, good for you. I’m sure that most people would forget one or two of them though. But no matter who you are there are likely three dwarves that you did not forget: Doc (because his name is so different from everybody else’s), Dopey (because he is adorable), and last, but certainly not least, Grumpy. The only word to describe Grumpy is… well, grumpy! He is always annoyed by everybody, always has a negative thing to say, and really puts a dark cloud on everybody else's day. But by the end of the movie we see that Grumpy has a soft spot for Snow White. Several times we are shown that he truly cares about her, that he would rush to save her life, and that he would be quick to shed a tear at her glass coffin. How did a dwarf that was characterized by his grumpiness end up becoming soft and actually liking Snow White? A very simple answer: Kindness. That is the lesson for this post: Kindess diffuses people.

I am certainly not saying that everyone will always love you if you are a kind person, but I am saying that most people will like you more often when you are a kind person. The truth is, most people today are so consumed with themselves or too suspicious of those around them that they are unwilling to practice kindness, but on the flip-side of that, everybody is yearning for someone to show kindness to them. Snow White did not win over Grumpy because she was the fairest one of all, but because she was kind hearted.

Speaking of that, what made Snow White the fairest one of all? Disney intentionally made the Wicked Queen to look stately and beautiful, yet Snow White was the fairest one of all. I believe that it was not Snow White’s looks that made her attractive so much as it was her kindness. I have known a lot of people who are physically attractive that are mean people, and I have met a lot of less physically attractive people who are filled with kindness. I’d rather spend time with the kind person any day! And that’s how Snow White was, sure, she was beautiful, but more importantly, she was kind. 

It is very difficult, not impossible, but very difficult, to hate someone who is kind to you. And most of the time, those people who hate those that are kind to them cannot find a very good reason for feeling that way. Grumpy did not like Snow White at first… he didn’t like anyone at all! But the more time he spent with her, the more kindness she showed him, the more he put his guard down, and the more he liked her.

Let me challenge you with this thought. You need to be the kind of person that when you walk in a room, everyone in the room becomes happier. We all know people that bring a dark cloud with them everywhere they go. Their presence brings stress and angst. Everyone is uncomfortable and enjoying themselves less when they walk in. You need to decide to be the person that when you walk in every is a little happier, the room is a little more at peace. You do that by being a kind person.

Here are a few simple but important things to do to show kindness:

• Smile at people- A lot of people feel better when someone gives them a smile.
• Talk less about yourself and listen to others- If you get nothing else out of this post, get this! If you are in a conversation with someone, the more you talk, the less likable you will seem. People will walk away from that conversation thinking that you talk to much. Instead, allow them to do most of the talking. When you do that, those people will think that they had a great conversation with you. Kind people are often listening people.
• Remember- remember details from conversations that you’ve had. Remember what they’ve said about their work frustrations, remember their name, remember the name and breed of their dog. When you come back to that person later on with a good memory of the past conversation, you will be seen as kind.
• Be a servant- Do nice things for people, expecting nothing in return. Make a meal for someone who just had surgery, write a letter to someone who is going through a hard time. Treat people the way that you would like to be treated.

A kind person is often able to diffuse even the grumpiest of people. Determine to be kind.

Don't forget to check out my newest book, Level Up!