Quote Of The Week

Kindness starts with an attitude. It’s a basic aura of friendliness and respect that radiates out from your body. In order to be kind you have to be open to the possibility of trusting other people even if they may betray that trust. It requires you to have strength and confidence in yourself, and an understanding that you are generous because you have more than enough to give to others.

You can start by smiling at people you see on the street. Maybe even nod or say ‘hello’ as you pass. Look up with your shoulders straight. In order to exude kindness you have to feel it. Treat customer service and service workers with dignity, like fellow human beings. Don’t bark orders at them, but say ‘thank you’ and ask for things nicely.

If you don’t feel intrinsically kind you can begin to do these simple tasks and they will rewire your brain chemistry to be more open and accepting. If you do it long enough it will come automatically to you. You’ll begin to smile at people without even thinking about it and in turn they will begin to trust you more.

After that, see what people in your community need. Maybe it’s just attention. Maybe it’s food, resources, or child-care. Take inventory of what you have to give because in order to be truly kind you have to be willing to do things for others that will take up your time and resources. Sometimes kindness is just getting a family member some food, or a gift, because you can see they’re busy or struggling or just need to be reminded that they’re loved. Kindness is seeing an opportunity, a lack, and filling it. And ultimately it’s the desire to love other people for who they are, and accept them.