Kindness
I think kindness is underestimated, it has a power beyond what we could possibly imagine and an impact that spreads far and wide.
Many people practice it without giving it a second thought, it’s almost part of who they are. Others hold on to it tightly as if it’s a commodity not to be given away lightly and therefore only those ‘deserving’ should receive it.
Paradoxically these are the people who need our kindness the most.
There seems to be a scarcity mentality when it comes to kindness, a feeling that it should be wielded only when its to our advantage, and that it’s tit for tat, some sort of transaction involved ‘I did this for you so you now owe me’.
That is not how kindness works nor how it should be used in the world. Measuring is not kindness neither is manipulation.
Kindness is like a smile; it has the ability to spread and create warmth wherever it goes.
I for one am a huge fan and try to be kind whenever I can.
I think I’d like my legacy to be: She was kind.
The realisation we could all be kinder every day of our lives is not to be trifled with. All we need to do is look around and see how the world exists without it. The bleak and dispiriting nature of people’s behaviour impacts others, and we could all take a little step in countering that by being understanding and loving. It doesn’t cost anything but gives way beyond anything we could imagine.
Too often we see the impact of the lack of kindness, it’s now time for us to suit up and wear our kindness with pride, after all it’s a core part of the human condition and has just been left to get flabby and weak due to underuse.
My challenge to the world is to retrieve kindness from its hiding place, put on its running shoes and get it moving.
We all know when we have received kindness, because of how we feel. It may have been a simple ‘How are you?’ from someone who realised we were struggling in some way. It may even have been someone phoning to appreciate something we did. Whichever way it shows up is unimportant, the fact that it happened is the point here.
We all have the capacity to spread this far and wide, not in a way that gets us noticed, more in a subtle – I can see he looks upset today followed by a simple ‘You ok buddy?’
The cost to us is nothing. The mindset is simple. The focus becomes on others.
Some easy ways to start this Kindness Project are:
Observe people around you
Notice who could do with some kind words or action
Take the plunge and act on it
Expect nothing in return
Know that you had an impact
Be proud of that
Repeat entire process
Having the wherewithal to act beyond ourselves for others, creates a ripple out effect. People walk away feeling lighter somehow and yes even a little happier. We are all connected, we just don’t always act as if we are.
The world is kind, we just need to make it more so.
Remember the last time someone was kind to you?
Perhaps today is a good day to share the love.