As of late, I feel that the word "kindness" is everywhere. My friends (myself included) post about 'being kind' on social media in the form of inspirational quotes, it's constantly woven in to debates of all kinds, church sermons preach it....heck, it's even this season's theme on Sesame Street!
My point is - kindness is not something we consider foreign. We learn the importance of it growing up, and we teach our peers and children to value it. While being loving, caring and kind all seem simple enough, why does it feel (as a society) we're still falling short?
KINDNESS, noun: "the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate."
I recently shared a video on Facebook of Lady Gaga describing kindness. One of the first things she shares is "The best thing about being kind...is that it's FREE. And it doesn't hurt others." WOW. So much truth. "The best things in life are free" really rings true here. I always am surprised when people can be mean or cruel so easily, because from my experience, it takes WAY more effort to be rude than to be kind.
What hits home even more is how much my friends, family and coworkers are being affected by current affairs. Just the other day I had a client become teary eyed in my office over the negativity swarming in the media (and she is not alone - in just the past few weeks a number of my clients have shared similar concerns). My mom even voiced her worries to me the other weekend, stating "I feel like I have to worry about you, my son-in-law and my grandson everyday - because 'you never know'."
I do want to make it clear: this post isn't simply about one singular issue - racism, sexism, politics, or terrorism...because unfortunately, many things in our world we simply cannot control. Law enforcement, our government leaders, and anyone who has a social media handle will try to research the shit out of every single catastrophe that happens and debate over how we could have prevented it. NEWSFLASH: no matter how much we prepare, we can never be 100% certain we are safe in any given situation. We just have to make our best judgments and HAVE FAITH.
Believe me, this idea has taken me SO LONG to come to terms with (and you bet I'm still working at it). My grandma used to say "There's no sense in worrying about the unknown." In that context she was addressing my fear of tornadoes and car accidents, but here it applies just the same. Simply put, THE ONLY THING WE CAN CONTROL IS OURSELVES. And good news is: kindness does not only come in grand gestures; small daily acts can add up quickly.
Do I believe this blog post will be evolutionary and change the way our world turns? Absolutely not. But it MIGHT help someone have an internal reflection. Maybe the challenge could be "What's ONE additional good deed I could do today?" ONE. Not two, not ten, not twenty (although that would be spectacular)! What is just ONE thing you could change about your attitude, your perspective, your work ethic, your conversations...? Could you hold the door open for someone, say "thank you" or "your welcome."? Smile when you walk past someone or even dare to say hello....compliment a stranger, strike up a conversation in the coffee shop line...NOT go bat-shit crazy with road rage...maybe you pray or meditate today...or as hard as it sounds, be nice to that jerk you work with...? You could take it a step further and pay for someone's food, donate to charity...hug someone when they're upset, empathize with a struggling parent who's attempting to manage a screaming toddler in public. ;)
Or maybe we can do more...? Maybe we cut out social media for the time being? Maybe we stop labeling those who have different opinions than us...maybe we take a step back before we post that passive-aggressive Facebook post attacking those who we don't understand (honestly, I'm guilty of that, too). Maybe we stop debating about whether kneeling or standing is appropriate, and we look at the bigger picture. Maybe we stop judging people by the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual orientation, their socioeconomic status, their clothes, their music preference, their political party...maybe we stop stereotyping! Good and evil cannot be determined by how you look, but from actions, and where your heart truly stands.
Again, I don't think this post is going to earth shattering, (but a girl can dream)! Just imagine: there are 7.5 billion people roaming this earth...*what if* there were 7.5 billion additional good deeds accomplished today? Maybe that kid who is bullied will reconsider his next step; maybe the bully will stop harassing all-together...maybe someone who's having a really tough day will end with a smile. Again, a girl can dream :)
"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention."
To end, I'll leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs - I still find it amazing that a guy in the 1970's had so much insight on how we could imagine a better world...
Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people living for today Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too Imagine all the people living life in peace, you You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be as one Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be as one-John Lennon, "Imagine"
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