Kindness
touch the card to read the other side
The cup of human kindness towers over mountains and
overflows into every life.
Being kind means watching out for the well being and welfare of others and ourselves. It means lending a helping hand, noticing when someone is distressed or ill-at-ease and taking action to prevent loss, embarrassment or injury.
The opposite of kindness occurs when a person or animal is being teased, ridiculed, ignored, embarrassed, cruelly treated or tortured.
Need more kindness in your life?
Then friends, true neighbors and kindred spirits are the people you want to surround yourself with. They already care for you, so acting with kindness is second nature to them.
Why is being kind so important?
Kindness is one of the virtues that is often overlooked ... and yet it shapes our daily reality and self perception. Small acts of kindness let us know we are safe and valued. They build bridges between people and bring a community closer together.
How do I get into the flow?
Just look around at the world ... and see where kindness lives. Groups which honor wisdom and communities which act on the underlying connection among all living things are places where kindness thrives.
They are easy to spot if you know what to look for ...
- people who smile, welcome others and share a kind word
- people who recognize when someone needs a quick helping hand, like holding the door or pushing an elevator button
- people who step in to ease an awkward or embarrassing situation
- people who mention when someone has forgotten or put something valuable at risk
So seek out those people and places where it is part of the culture and accepted ways. Kindness is taught by example, so to learn it you must have people who are willing to share the cup with you.
Groups where a kind act is met with skeptism or quips about "are you crazy?", "what planet are you from?" or "you fool!" are places where kindness is either unknown or discouraged ... and a poor place to practice it. Few of us are like Crocodile Dundee, with years of kindness as second nature, able to wander the streets and share without being discouraged and changed.
