Continuing Our Year of Kindness: Let’s Keep it Going!

When I shared my word of the year in January, I asked a question: “2024 – Could it be our kindness era?”?

While I have adopted the practice of selecting a word each year to remind myself daily that a small action can have an outsized impact, kindness – and the word “kind” — will continue to be “the word” beyond 2024. I believe our collective well-being can significantly improve if kindness is contagious. Each collective moment can build a significant movement.?

I’ve been surprised how positive and “contagious” the response to the display of kindness and/or the act of being kind has been. The theme of kindness has been inserted into many of our Walmart meetings, and I’ve received messages from associates across the company to share their appreciation for an act of kindness from a fellow associate. Sharing appreciation for others is heartwarming and demonstrates our focus on living our values – including respect for the individual - and our pursuit to create a culture of belonging, a Walmart for everyone.??

Showing empathy, compassion, and understanding is not as common as you would expect.?

As we round the halfway point, here are a few learnings and a challenge for the back half of the year:??

1. Kindness is everywhere. The philosopher Seneca said, “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” Since I first shared my focus on kindness, I’ve received so many notes from associates across the country sharing moments of kindness. Some are big, like the story of Flo Murphy I shared earlier this year, but overwhelmingly, they are simply kind words and thoughtful gestures that have changed the course of someone’s day.??
2. Kindness is contagious. Earlier this year, we announced our #SpreadKindness campaign and saw examples pour in from across the company. Associates took time to recognize and celebrate each other, share thoughtful kindness to our customers and celebrate with their communities. Collectively, they created thousands of meaningful moments.??
3. To be your kindest self, be kind to yourself. It’s cliché to say you can’t pour from an empty cup, but it’s true. Having patience, assuming positive intent and leading with empathy are most effective for others when we also practice them on ourselves.??

So, my challenge and the opportunity: as we move through the back half of 2024, look for opportunities to lead with kindness. It is inevitable that there will be good and bad days ahead, and while we can’t always control what happens, we can control how we respond. Here’s to ending this year by making the world a little (or a lot) kinder. #SpreadKindness