Creating a Kind World

Kindness has become a trend in recent years, especially on social media. This past week was actually Random Acts of Kindness week in the United States. But what if, instead of completing random acts of kindness, nearly every thought we had centered on being kind to one another?

Imagine how different our world would be! If we gave kindness purposefully, to those who need it most. Yes it’s great to just “sprinkle kindness like confetti,” but imagine if that kindness was more inherent within each of us. If it just came naturally. If it wasn’t sprinkled, but planted with purpose to make the world a kinder, more compassionate place.

Being kind means being friendly, even to people who don’t always agree with you. Sometimes even people who may not deserve your kindness. Saying hi, smiling, and having conversations with people is an act of kindness in itself. Friendliness may not come naturally, especially on days where you aren’t feeling on top of the world yourself. Looking beyond yourself and realizing that you have an impact on everyone you come into contact with and beyond can help you find that friendliness when you need it, even if you have to fake it a little.

Generosity is another aspect of kindness. Many people think this means donating money on a regular basis. You can be generous with your time, resources, talents, and patience, among other things. It can be a challenge, especially in trying times such as this, to feel generous. Either the need of others feels overwhelming to the point of paralysis, or you feel as if you barely have enough to get by so you don’t have enough to help other people. Taking the idea of monetary value away from generosity makes it more attainable. Everyone has strengths, which means everyone has something to give.

Deciding what to give means learning how to be considerate of other’s thoughts, feelings, backgrounds, and beliefs. Having consideration and compassion for others doesn’t mean giving up your rights to getting what you want (within reason). It just means taking into account their feelings while you go about doing that. It means having compassion for what someone has gone through to gain their differing perspectives on life. Letting that compassion guide your actions can help you take a kinder path.

Although being kind is much more complicated than just being friendly, generous, and considerate, those are three traits to focus on in order to begin living a more caring life.

So who should we be kind to in life? Does everyone deserve kindness? Even the mean and cruel people of the world? There are some people who will not deserve your kindness. It is up to you to set limits and boundaries based on your background and experiences. Trust your gut and use reason when dealing with people.

The people we should really be kind to in our lives are the loved ones we deal with on a daily basis. This can be a challenge because the ones we know best are the ones whose flaws we see most often. They are the ones we most easily get annoyed with. Remembering to be patient as well as friendly, generous, and considerate will help you spread kindness to those who matter most in your life.

Ways to habitually work kindness into your day, week, month, or even your year

• Smile at people
• Make eye contact
• Say please and thank you
• Open and hold doors for people
• Answer phone calls
• Hug people you know
• Send cards and letters
• Give genuine compliments
• Take help when it is offered
• Actively listen to others
• Do a chore without being asked
• Set aside your cell phone
• Include people
• Check in with your friends
• Let someone in while driving or waiting in line
• Offer your seat to someone
• Leave a bowl of candy with an inspirational saying on it in the employee lounge
• Drop off baked goods for neighbors or friends
• Volunteer for a cause you feel connected to
• If you have more ideas, please comment!

If it’s so easy, why aren’t we kind all the time? Why do we disrespect each other and judge one another? Many times cruelty, the opposite of kindness, comes from insecurities or trauma. Sometimes it is passed on from generation to generation as a defense mechanism. If one is raised in an environment of judgement and condemnation, it’s the type of environment one has been trained to create. So how can you deal with it when someone is cruel? How can you turn that situation or environment into a kind one? By returning their cruelty with kindness as much as possible. Those people who need kindness the most, other than the ones you care about, are those who act like they want it the least. I recommend the cliche “Killing them with kindness” because it allows you to be the hope in the situation, rather than the dire circumstance.