Kindness Strengthens Humanity
I always teach my clients to speak in picture words, so when I say the word “kindness” to you what picture do you see in your mind?
Holding a door open, carrying groceries for someone, taking food over to someone’s house who lost a loved one or maybe they are ill. There are so many…… calling someone, sending a card for no reason at all.
Every one of you probably has a different picture of what kindness looks like or means.
Another question – What act of kindness do you do for yourself every day? Now that might be a harder picture to, see? Most people think “kindness” is something done for others. Kindness just like any other characteristic I speak about – love, fear, respect, awareness, all of these first must be practiced within yourself first.
You cannot be kind if you do not understand what kindness is or when you are not kind to yourself. It is all a part of loving yourself. How can you love yourself if you are not kind to yourself? Kindness, like any other skill, must be learned and taught.
All of you well-meaning people who “think” your actions don’t matter or nobody is watching you, so you can be rude or critical because no one will know, WRONG! Your children watch you closer than you think.
In many cultures’ kindness, as well as manners, are recognized as virtues and the people who practice these values in are highly valued.
Kindness is defined as loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weaknesses. It requires the ability to think of the needs of others before you think of your own needs. Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate of others.
Parents, teachers and any adult listening to this we must get back to setting examples of kindness, as well as manners, for our children. We must teach how to talk on a phone correctly, set the table, eat properly, ask before you leave the table, listen to whomever is speaking. You do not yell when you talk, you speak to each other. Proper manners at home, as well as being kind to each other at home, carries over to our society.
We are kinder to other people outside our homes than the people we live with – we tend to dump our anxieties on the people we live with because we feel safe. Let’s practice kindness all the time!
The legacy you leave after you die will not only be about what you did to earn money. It will be about how you made other people feel and what you did with your life to inspire someone. How did you make our world just a little bit better?
Every act of kindness, no matter how small, adds positive energy to our society. Throughout the rest of your life practice acts of kindness toward yourself and to every one you meet.
Imagine how much positive energy we can add to our world if each one of us performs one kind deed every day!
Sincerely with love,
Ask Mary Ellen