Kindness- the way of our better angels

“Your acts of kindness are iridescent wings of divine love, which linger and continue to uplift others long after your sharing.” ― Rumi

In today’s fast-paced life we have become used to putting in more hard work and working longer hours. We have learned the mantra of accomplishing things through extreme ownership and bestowing on ourselves some tough love. It would be nice if we can complement our industrious attitude with some self-care through kindness and empathy. Kindness is not just about being well-mannered and nice to others. It is about getting connected to the inner spirit of humanness and treating others with the same kindred feeling. Kindness is good karma.

According to the findings provided by the Mayo clinic, Kindness has medically proven benefits for the mind and the body. Kindness has been known to increase self-esteem, empathy, and compassion. This has a direct positive influence on emotional states and moods. Kindness helps in decreasing blood pressure. It also helps in reducing cortisol, a stress hormone that directly impacts stress levels. Kind people are known to live healthier and happier life. Kindness is aligned to the ubuntu of life, a philosophy where everyone believes in growing and evolving together. It helps in alleviating loneliness and serves as an antidote against depression. An act of kindness triggers mood-enhancing neurotransmitters such as Dopamine and Serotonin. Further, it also aids the release of endorphins which are the body’s natural painkillers.

February 17 is celebrated as ‘Random acts of kindness day’. It all started when American Author Anne Herbert wrote an inspirational quote on Placemat in the year 1982 ‘Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty’ as an affirmative rebuttal to ‘random acts of violence and senses acts of cruelty. She followed it up with an eponymous book in 1993. Random Acts of Kindness Day was first created in Denver, Colorado in 1995 by a small nonprofit organization, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. The idea is to brighten someone’s day through the simplest acts of kindness. Here are some of the ideas which we can use to grow kindness in our daily lives.

1.?????Gift free meals to the homeless

2.?????Smile at strangers

3.?????Offer genuine compliments to people

4.?????Hold the elevator for someone you see rushing

5.?????Send someone a care package

6.?????Volunteer

7.?????Help someone with directions

8.?????Reach out to a friend whom you haven’t connected for long

9.?????Tell someone you miss them

10.??Buy someone a coffee

11.??Help someone cross the road

12.??Offer to drive someone to a place they need to reach

13.??Gift someone with something they could truly cherish

14.??Give away your parking spot if you are not in a rush

15.??Donate old clothes

16.??Talk to someone who seems lonely and can do with a conversation

17.??Take a moment to appreciate someone’s art. Be sincere with your praise.

18.??Share your knowledge with someone who could use it

19.??Include a new person in your group. Invite him or her over.

20.??Help someone haul their groceries to the car at the supermarket

Write a gratitude journal. Express your gratitude for all things good. Offer a silent Thank You to all the people who created an opportunity for you to serve them and become a better person.