In a world where you can choose to be anything, choose to be kind. Kindness has meant a lot to me in my formative years, but spending a month with a focus on kindness has lead me to believe there is more than enough kindness to go around, but people are stingy with their kindness.
Here is my list of small kindnesses to add to the world when and wherever you can:
Make people feel seen
Offer help. Reach in a grocery store, put someone's cart away
Pick up some trash, it's everywhere. Keep your eyes open.
Smile at someone (I realize this one seems difficult because we are masked a lot in public and you cannot see people's mouths, but try while you are driving, or walking on the sidewalk, or at a public park)
If you can/cannot smile at people, be sure to also try to make eye contact. Especially while conversing. Your checker, cart return, delivery driver, fast food clerk, gym desk attendee, older neighbor, everyone can see you seeing them, and in a time when human interaction is just plain weird, make sure to SEE people.
Promote peace. at home, at work, at play
Listen to people. Be an active listener. Look it up, refresh your memory, and then practice listening
Give a genuine compliment
Make small talk with people. It's trite sometimes, but try and make that connection kind and genuine.
Help someone you love. Just a little or a little extra.
Encourage someone. kindly offer feedback in an encouraging way.
Let someone merge. For goodness sake try to be a generous driver.
Pay for someone else. Even if it's leaving your change for the next person
Volunteer your precious time.
Say "I love you" to people. I mean it. Say it.
Hold the door for someone.
Offer to help. just offer.
Withhold judgement. withhold speaking for someone else.
Send a kind email, card, or text.
Watch out for the lonely hearts of the world. People who look down and out, or are perpetually on their own. Make sure you recognize the people on their own who may need a lift.
Kindness may be what you do when no one is looking, or only when someone is looking. Kindness is not something that can in itself right a wrong we have done, but it can change the course of an outcome if applied the right way.
Kindness is an understanding, it's an action without need of a proper reaction.
We need more kindness no question.
I want to challenge you to find more ways to add more kindness into your day. I don't mean become a human doormat, or letting people take advantage of you. I mean, how many negative thoughts or reactions can you replace with kind or generous thoughts? How many more people can you react kindly to? How many ways can you be kinder with your time? (remember that self-discipline is being kind to your future self, volunteering can be a simple sign up to an event you are already attending, and being kind to yourself about your lack of time or limited time for this phase of life.)
Being kind can also look like cutting the unkind people out of your life. (edit social media, clean up the music you listen to, set firm boundaries for yourself and others treatment.)
My hope is you will open yourself up to what kindness can be.
One small note about the clinical studies of kindness. Kindness has been shown by the Mayo clinic to increase self-esteem, empathy, compassion, and improve mood. It has also shown the ability to decrease blood pressure and cortisol which is our stress hormone.
People who give of themselves in a balanced way tend to be healthier and live longer.
I want you to know that kindness is the simplest of things. It begins with small acts, and I just want to leave you with a list of ideas of ways you can choose to be a little kinder. These are the start small, or add small list:
Make people feel seen
Offer help. Reach in a grocery store, put someone's cart away
Pick up some trash, it's everywhere. Keep your eyes open.
Smile at someone (I realize this one seems difficult because we are masked a lot in public and you cannot see people's mouths, but try while you are driving, or walking on the sidewalk, or at a public park)
If you can/cannot smile at people, be sure to also try to make eye contact. Especially while conversing. Your checker, cart return, delivery driver, fast food clerk, gym desk attendee, older neighbor, everyone can see you seeing them, and in a time when human interaction is just plain weird, make sure to SEE people.
Promote peace. at home, at work, at play
Listen to people. Be an active listener. Look it up, refresh your memory, and then practice listening
Give a genuine compliment
Make small talk with people. It's trite sometimes, but try and make that connection kind and genuine.
Help someone you love. Just a little or a little extra.
Encourage someone. kindly offer feedback in an encouraging way.
Let someone merge. For goodness sake try to be a generous driver.
Pay for someone else. Even if it's leaving your change for the next person
Volunteer your precious time.
Say "I love you" to people. I mean it. Say it.
Hold the door for someone.
Offer to help. just offer.
Withhold judgement. withhold speaking for someone else.
Send a kind email, card, or text.
Watch out for the lonely hearts of the world. People who look down and out, or are perpetually on their own. Make sure you recognize the people on their own who may need a lift.
Inevitably, this list comes down to just to be somebody who makes others feel like a somebody. It's important. This world somedays feels like a sinking ship, and there's too many people willing to make it harder and more unkind. Don't be the person adding dead weight to the sinking ship. Plug a hole with some kindness.
Here's to wishing you a happy weekend. Go out, do good, have fun, be kind.