Be Kind. Two simple words yet not simple to be. Think of your day and how many times you cold have been kind but weren’t. Sure one can “be kind” by holding the door open for someone, or even giving someone in need a few dollars, but I’m talking more than that. I’m talking being kind in who you are, The thoughts you think about not only others but yourself too.
I recently decided to challenge myself to be as kind as I possibly could for one entire day. I knew doing a physically kindness would be somewhat easy. Smile, says something nice to someone, let someone go first, pass out a compliment, but it was the inner thoughts that I was most worried about.
Could I resist the tendency to think the worst when I saw a street person, or someone driving badly, or even dealing with a co worker? That was the biggie and I knew I had to stay vigilant. What I found is I had to be proactive on those things. When I saw that street person I immediately tried to feel empathy for them. Even something as silly as dreaming of winning the lotto. I tried to think of the various people and charities I would like to help instead of thinking about that new Ferrari and trip to Europe for myself.
It was also a challenge to be kind to myself as it’s easy to shoot yourself down.
Being kind in all you do is hard to do and for some sad reason seems to go against our natural tendencies are humans. It’s easy to slip being kind especially in our thoughts. Seeing someone homeless and thinking how it upsets YOU to see THESE people. To hear someone got great news or had some good fortune and NOT being happy for them.
You know what, it’s hard to be kind….it really is. That doesn’t make us bad people, it just means we have to try harder and break the bad habit and thinking the worst of people and things and ourselves.
There is so much negativity in the world it is hard not to get caught up in that swamp. We all have challenges, misfortune, bad days, on and on, but if we can think the worst, why can’t we think the best? It’s because we are human.
It reminds me of an old proverb about a scorpion and a frog. They are at the edge of a riverbank and the scorpion asks the frog if he can help him to the other side and let him ride on the frogs back. The frog wanting to help is weary and asks the scorpion why he should as he is worried the scorpion will sting him and kill him. The scorpion say he wont because if he does, they both will drown. The frog see’s the wisdom in that and allows the scorpion to hop on and he begins swimming across the river. Halfway there the scorpion stings the frog and as the frog takes it’s last few breathes, asks the scorpion why he did that as they will now both drown…the scorpion just said I couldn’t help it, I’m a scorpion, it’s what I do.
We know we should be kind, it’s healthier for us and makes us better people.
So I challenge YOU to be kind for one day….24 hours. Your actions outward, but also in your thoughts towards others and yourself.
Oh, and remember to be kind to yourself when you catch yourself slipping up – and you will!
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