How do we give and receive kindness?
Aesop, the ancient Greek storyteller, once said,
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
In some of my previous posts I have looked at what kindness is and its power and benefits on you and the world. With that knowledge how do we give and receive kindness?
Ideas for Giving and Receiving Kindness
- Kindness begins with yourself. Be kind to yourself when you take a misstep. Being angry and negative over a mistake you made can lead you to being angry and frustrated with others.
- Begin with compassion, then with kindness. Recognise that we all have challenges before making a comment or making an assumption about another person or situation Follow up your compassion with an act of kindness.
- Be of service to others. Do at least one kind act for someone close to you, an acquaintance or stranger or yourself every day. It can be as simple as bringing a coworker a cup of coffee or giving a stranger a smile.
- Choose to be kind even when others are not. Being kind is a choice you have every day.
- Give for the sake of giving. Don’t expect anything in return. When you give kindness expecting thanks or some form of credit, it is self-serving and some form of making the recipient feel indebted. The rewards are better when we are kind without expecting any payback.
- Practice being kind more often. Like everything, we become kinder the more we do it. Random acts of kindness get easier. Do one small, kind thing each day for someone and pay attention to the impact you make. It will make you feel lighter, kinder and notice more opportunities to be kind.
Benefits of Giving and Receiving Kindness
- Kindness is contagious. Be the one who shows kindness every day and others will begin to do the same. Be the boss, leader, coworker, family member or neighbour who people follow your actions in kindness.
- Kindness lasts. When you do an act of kindness for someone or it’s done for you, it is remembered. Maybe you were shy in college and you had a staff member compliment you on your looks. Do you still remember the unexpected kindness? How do you want to be remembered?