every moment before this one depends on this one

Aries: I’m Joe Exotic, otherwise known as the Tiger King, the gay, gun-carrying redneck with a mullet.

Taurus: I’m never going to financially recover from this.

Gemini: I don’t think we’re done blowing shit up today.

Cancer: I’d shoot you before I’d shoot my cat.

Leo: People don’t come to see the tigers, they come to see me.

Virgo: This is my own little town. I’m the mayor, the prosecutor, the cop, and the executioner.

Libra: I’d like to introduce my wife, but my husband’s at home feeding my brand-new baby kangaroo.

Scorpio: She’ll never get a million dollars out of me. I don’t own anything.

Sagittarius: I’m outspoken, good looking, love to party and have fun.

Capricorn: It’s just two complete opposite, different worlds. You know, he’s a little more upscale, and I’m working with people who just got out of prison.

Aquarius: I am not changing the way I dress. I refuse to wear a suit. I am gay. I am broke as shit. I have a judgement against me from some bitch down there in Florida.

Sometimes I suspect we are all horrible people. Or at least, we are human people. Same thing. We are impatient, judgmental, irritating and irritated, grumpy, easily offended and the rest of it.

So how to be kinder if it doesn’t come naturally? 

Fake it. 

Fake it a little bit at a time. 

Because there isn’t actually any difference between doing something nice for someone because you are naturally saintly and perfect, and doing something nice for someone because you are secretly demonic and trying to cover it up. It’s still an act of kindness either way, and you still made their lives better.

Smile at people. Say hullo. Ask about their lives. Remember what they’ve told you about their lives. Do small things to try and help them. (They will not know you are horrible, do not worry. They will just perceive that you are helping.)

Give people the benefit of the doubt. Remember that it’s more often stupidity to blame than evil, that everyone can screw up (including you) and what’s important is learning from that.

Think “What would an actually kind person do now?” – and do that. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Just be as kind to yourself as you will be to others – even if you have to fake that.