You've heard it your whole life. “Nice guys finish last.” That may be true in middle-school romance, but not in life.

In fact, I've recently made it a habit to never keep a kind thought to myself. I see earrings I like on a stranger, and I say something. I see someone wearing a great sports coat in the airport, I tell them. I see someone perform on stage, I find them afterward and tell them how great they were.

It's not a habit I always had, but it's one I'm proud I developed. It makes people feel seen, and it costs nothing.

And then I started to notice a discrepancy.

The good things my wife was doing at home weren't getting the same love. The good things my colleagues were doing at work weren't either. I was generous with strangers and stingy with the people I was around every single day.

I came across a lesson that I learned from Father Mike Schmitz that he shared on his podcast:

Read that again.

I would even take it a step further: being kind to your colleagues at work. Because you spend as much time with colleagues as you do with your own family. They see the real version too.

If you're kind everywhere except home and work, that's not kindness. That's performance.

The habit of never keeping a kind thought to myself is one I'm proud of, but it was only half-built. The other half is harder because those people know you. They can activate what bothers you. They've seen your worst days. And they still show up.

They deserve the kind thought, as well.

Today is your day to refuse to keep a kind thought to yourself. Not just for strangers but for colleagues and the people at home. Share it today and watch how the day changes.

P.S. The Optimistic Outlook is a Podcast! Leaving a rating or review wherever you listen to podcasts would mean a lot.