The quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.
Kindness.
When we are younger we think of kindness as simply being nice to one another, and while that is a major component of kindness; there is a difference between kindness and niceness.
So, where does kindness start?
Kindness is really made up of your own ethics, your own values, and your own beliefs.
Niceness is a way people view you.
There’s no kindness without the letter “I” and we believe that kindness starts with yourself.
So what does kindness look like?
First of all, sometimes showing kindness to yourself is a day at the spa, sometimes it is a day full of Netflix binging, sometimes it’s a yummy glass of wine with a friend. Sometimes showing kindness to yourself is simply being true to yourself, to your beliefs, to your ideas and your dreams. A lot of times we find it easier to show kindness to those around us than we do to show ourselves kindness.
Take it easy on yourself, everyone deserves a little kindness in their lives.
Kindness is not a one size fits all solution, it can look different to each person and in every situation.
Secondly, did you know that sometimes kindness can be saying no? Sometimes we enable those around us by not saying no when that is really the best thing they could hear.
And just like someone else might need to hear the word no, you might need to also. Self-care and self-indulgence are not the same thing. A lot of times self-care is not a glamorous look. It’s not all spa days and roses. Sometimes showing yourself kindness is “weeding your garden” by removing someone negative from your life.
Kindness may look different than you thought but showing acts of kindness to those around you can create a movement of genuine compassion for your fellow human beings. Kindness is acting without expectations; it’s a beautifully complex action.
February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Countless people across our beautiful country use this day to focus on doing random acts of kindness for their loved ones, their neighbors and even complete strangers. They expect nothing in return, they simply want to exercise their belief in the beauty of the world around them and spreading that kindness far and wide.
Christina, a domestic violence survivor interviewed by thread talk said, “Words of affirmation are super important. People don’t take the time to say thank you and what you mean to them and that’s important for the people in your life and to hug them and say I love you, and I’m here; that can go a really long way.”
This Saturday, February 17th, do something kind for someone.
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Donate cell phones to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which will use the proceeds for programs that protect families from abuse.
https://ncadv.org/donate-a-phone
- Write a nice note to someone who could use some encouragement.
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Donate your old professional clothes to Dress for Success to help women build confidence as they jump start their career.
https://dressforsuccess.org
- Say “thank you” to someone who has made a difference in your life.
- Forgive someone. Repeat as necessary.
- Listen, without interruption, to a friend who’s going through a hard time.
- Encourage someone to follow their dreams.
- Put sticky notes with positive messages (e.g., "You look gorgeous!") on a restroom mirror.
- Leave a bouquet at the hospital and tell the nurses to deliver it to someone who needs it the most.
- Pay for someone’s meal in the drive thru.
- Send a thank-you note to the brave officers at your local police station.
- Volunteer at a non-profit organization in your community.
These are just a few ideas to help spread kindness to the world around you.
And finally, post #threadtalk #RandomActsOfKindnessDay on social media to share the message to your network.