If you have a kind word to share with someone, don’t hold it in. You never know the impact that your words might have on another person. This young girl, for example, was constantly being criticized by her mother. She started to judge herself too harshly, but the words of a stranger made all the difference.
The girl was in the midst of her mother’s critique, when a stranger stepped in and gave her a new perspective. Now, much later in life, this woman still looks back on that message with fondness. It has shaped her entire life. Never underestimate the power of a kind word.
The other day a woman related a story to me about how her mother had viciously berated her since she was a child. And how one day it was happening in an elevator – in front of others. When the door opened on their floor the mother bolted out but just as SHE started to go.. 1/
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 29, 2018
The story was shared with the world when Ed Solomon, writer and producer, posted it into a Twitter thread. “The other day a woman related a story to me about how her mother had viciously berated her since she was a child,” Solomon began. The moment was set in an elevator. The mother filled her daughter’s ears with insults as the elevator doors slowly opened. Then the woman jumped out, leaving this young girl to shuffle behind her.
.. a stranger – a random person who happened to be there – whispered, “Hey.” And the (then 11 yr old) girl turned back. The stranger said: “It’s not you. It’s her.” And then the elevator door closed. Why do I bring this up? 2/
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 29, 2018
That’s when a complete stranger stepped up. With just a few words, he imparted on the little girl a message that would stay with her for the rest of her life. “It’s not you. It’s her.”
Because the (now 53 year old) woman told me that at times when life gets really dark, when she hears her (inner) mother’s voice telling that she’s shit, she can’t do it, or to just plain give up.. she then sees that stranger’s face as the door closes in front of her. Nodding. 3/
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 29, 2018
Those words might seem simple, but their meaning was as deep as the ocean for this child. “At times when life gets really dark,” Solomon explained, “when she hears her (inner) mother’s voice telling her that she’s shit, she can’t do it, or to just plain give up…she then sees that stranger’s face as the door closes in front of her.”
Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps her going. The point? If you have a nice thing to say – a word of encouragement, a compliment – even if it’s to a passing stranger.. Don’t hold onto it. Cause you just never know where and when it will land. 4/4
— Ed Solomon (@ed_solomon) January 29, 2018
Solomon then encouraged his followers to share a word of kindness whenever possible. “Don’t hold on to it,” he wrote. “Cause you just never know where and when it will land.”
This girl learned a powerful lesson when she crossed paths with that stranger in the elevator. She now knows that she is capable of whatever she sets her mind to. This stranger showed her that her self-doubt – the voice of criticism she often hears – has no power over her. She was able to build her self-confidence and blossom into a successful woman, all because she learned to shut out the lies that rattled around her head.
A little kindness goes a long way. Countless lives are changed because of total strangers who want to do a good deed. The next time you feel compelled to share a compliment – go for it. You never know what incredible effect it may have.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
