Kindness
Kindness: to be kind, compassionate, considerate, nurturing or caring towards myself and others
Important to me because...I know the impact having Kindness shown toward me, even small acts of Kindness can have. It is so easy to become busy, short, and bitter, leading to people not being given the care they deserve. But I feel so much better about myself and my relationships when I put Kindness at the forefront. This intention also spills over into my work life; maintaining the compassion that should drive my job and avoiding burnout is difficult, but being deliberate with Kindness can make it much more manageable.
Will be in my life through...continued small and big gestures that make people feel cared for. Reaching out to connect with people, volunteering and community service and decreasing immediate complaints/highlighting annoyances with people and life (i.e. more gratitude). It is also key that I direct Kindness toward myself to show compassion and patience and engage in self-care.
Five ways to create Kindness in your life:
Volunteer your time: find a community organization whose mandate you connect with and seek out opportunities to support them.
Give genuine compliments: express your appreciation or admiration for someone’s efforts, skills, appearance etc.
Avoid judging: Catch moments of judgmental thoughts and find kind or neutral replacements.
Be patient: We all live and function differently; take a breath and show others some grace.
Engage in self-care: Kindness towards ourselves is vital; find small ways to demonstrate care for your body and mind.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” — Aesop