“Let no one ever come to you without leaving you better and happier.”

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be a living expression of God’s kinds: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting.” — Mother Teresa

This is a beautiful quote from Mother Teresa that is easy to read and understand but often difficult to do. We tend to get caught up in what we have going on in our lives instead of taking the time to make sure we try to make someone else happier. This is understandable, but we should still work on it. In order to increase the chances of others leaving you feeling better and happier, let’s look at the rest of the quote. Let’s look at how we can be an expression of “God’s kinds.”

“…kindness in your face…”

Don’t be that guy or gal who always has this mean scowl on your face. You know the kind I am talking about. The one that says “go away” before anyone even walks up to you. For most people, you can see the kind of day they are having in their faces without even knowing what they are thinking. Don’t let this be you. Don’t wear your worries, frustrations, or anger in your face. Let them go. Let your face show that you are an inviting person. Don’t pout, furrow your brow, or give anyone a dirty look. Relax your face, keep your head up so people can see it, and allow it to represent compassion.

“…kindness in your eyes…”

I suspect that furrowing your brows has a lot to do with this. You can look at many people and see the wrinkles appear in their forehead as they express anger or intense determination. It is like they are trying to turn their eyes into lasers, like Superman’s, and trying to burn a whole through something or someone.

Mother Teresa is saying to show “kindness in your eyes.” Let your eyes be soft. Let them show support. Don’t let them shoot lasers through someone. Don’t let them look at people in disgust, doubt, or judgement. Let them show compassion and understanding. You know, that kind of look where, without saying a word, your eyes say you understand and you are here for them.

“…kindness in your smile…”

They say it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. They say that if you force yourself to smile, you can make yourself happier, even if you fake it. You know the old “fake it to you make it” approach. Some say that it can even help you wake up in the morning.

Mother Teresa is asking you to smile to show warmth and kindness. No matter who you are, you look better with a smile. A smile makes you look approachable. It tells others you are in a good mood and gives off this inviting vibe. A smile to a stranger on the street might be exactly what they need to give themselves hope. It may be the thing that helps them decide to turn their day around. Smile, show those pearly whites, and spread a little love. It’s one of the easiest things we can do to improve our day and the happiness of everyone around us.

“…kindness in your warm greeting.”

A warm greeting is also easy to do, but rarely done. Again, we are too busy and absorbed in what we are doing to take the time to properly say hello to someone. Ever gone to the doctor’s office and said good morning to the person behind the counter only to have them say, “Good morning, sign in”? True, they may be consumed in their work, or having a bad day, but it would only take a couple more seconds to say, “Good morning. How are you? Please sign in and we will be with you shortly.”

We need to take the time to make others feel important. Sometimes we need to go out of our way to enrich someone else’s life. And most of the time, it’s the little things that makes the big difference. When you encounter someone, remember to give them a warm greeting. Give them a few extra seconds of your time and watch how it can make both of you a bit happier.

Final Thoughts

If we want to find joy and happiness in our lives and our relationships, we need to to take the time to do the little things. Having an inviting face, kindness in our eyes, a friendly smile, and an engaging hello are some of the secrets to improving relationships and encounters with people. You hear that we need to spread more love in the world. Well, Mother Teresa told us how to do that through “God’s kinds.” Try it today. Look people in the eyes when you talk with them. Give them your undivided attention and a big smile. Take a few extra seconds to say hello and goodbye. As Mother Teresa said,

““Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”