Image Artwork by Shanti Herrington
The world can seem like a cruel place sometimes, but it is important not to dwell here. Instead, it is important to focus on the kind actions that take place every single moment of every single day.
The more we focus on the negative and cruel aspects of the world, the more we feed into this type of energy. Instead, we need to focus on the positives and feed this energy in order for it to grow and expand.
This doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to the injustices of the world, but instead it means that we focus on change and productive resolutions, rather than getting stuck into whose to blame and how corrupt things are.
This is not an easy thing to do, especially when we switch on the news and all there is to see is terrible devastation, war, famines, and pain.
It is my personal belief that watching the news can be very toxic for the mind and for the heart. The best thing to do is to get out there and make a change, and the first step with that is to start with yourself.
We are all connected and we are all one, which means that when you work on yourself and begin being kind to yourself first, it creates a ripple that is sent out to the entire Universe.
When you work on yourself, your family feels the benefits, your friends feel the benefits and you inspire others to also make a change.
As Mother Teresa once said-
“It is easy to love the people far away, it is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relive hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.”
Those words are powerful because they are true. Creating a positive world begins with you, right where you are now.
What Does it Mean to Be Kind?
Being kind is about treating yourself and others with respect.
Being kind is a two way street, you cannot be doing a disservice to yourself and be kind to someone else in the same breath.
When you are kind, it arises from the depths of your heart and flows outwards. This energy has the ability to nourish and heal you, and nourish and heal the person or situation that you are dealing with.
Kindness is also not just limited to your interactions with people, it also includes how you treat animals, plants, the environment, and all of Mother Earth.
Being kind comes from loving yourself and understanding that we are all connected. For it is only with this awareness, that true kindness can arise.
Be Kind, Even if Others are Mean
It can be easy to get angry or retaliate when someone is mean or does something nasty, but this only lowers your vibration and causes suffering.
How people treat you is their responsibility and karma, and just the same, how you treat other people is your responsibility and your karma.
Regardless of what others choose to do, you always have the choice to act from a place of kindness and respect. Many people view this type of response as being weak, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Being kind doesn’t mean that you don’t stand up for yourself and express your truth, it just means that you do so with kindness.
Life will not always serve you people who are willing to do the same for you, and that’s ok. In fact, it’s not the point. The point is that you do the right thing in your heart as much as possible.
This is a tricky game to play and there will be times when anger gets the best of you, but if you can remember to treat everyone with kindness, you will be adding to the raising of consciousness and the healing of the planet.
Find the Humor in Life’s Irritations
As Rumi says, if you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?
It is easy to get irritated by others and by life when you are feeling out of sorts or sensitive. The best thing to do when you find yourself irritated, is to focus instead on finding the humor.
There is so much power in learning how to laugh at yourself and to laugh at situations that you are not even going to remember in a few weeks to come.
Life is too short to sweat the small stuff, and very often, we take circumstances in life far too seriously. So, instead of getting irritated, get playful and seek the humor in it all.
Learn How to Forgive
This is one of the most powerful lessons we can learn in life. When you can learn to forgive, you can learn to do anything.
Forgiveness is really about acceptance and letting go. When you forgive, you are actually releasing that person or that situation from your life so it no longer remains a burden to you.
When you forgive, it helps to release you of anger or any other resentments you may be holding onto.
Over time, forgiveness will also allow you to embrace kindness as an automatic and genuine response for whenever life greets you with a hostile or difficult situation.
Find the Light in Others
Wayne Dyer once said- “See the light in others and treat them as if that’s all you see”.
Everyone has their own pains and battles, and we cannot begin to imagine what someone has been through or what they are going through. Not that this ever excuses bad behaviour, but often the way someone treats us has very little to do with us and everything to do with them.
People who inflict pain on others are often pained themselves. People who are mean and hostile to others are often mean and hostile to themselves.
Instead of judging or allowing your own pains to be triggered, responding with kindness can bring a new energy into the situation and can help to shift things naturally.
Being kind with someone who is pained is about acting without judgement, and listening to their point of view with respect.
It is also helpful to remember that there are always two sides to every story, so be open to hear the other person’s point of view as well and acknowledge how they are feeling.
Being Kind Doesn’t Mean You Always Have to Give
Being kind doesn’t mean that you have to give every beggar you see a room in your house and a lovely dinner. While doing these things is great, you don’t need to do all this in order to show kindness.
Sometimes a simple smile and a sign of acknowledgement or respect is all you need to show. In fact, a genuine smile, a nod or a simple hello can go a long way.
Even those annoying telemarketers that bother you at dinner time can be told “no thanks” with kindness.
By treating others with kindness and compassion, we can cause a ripple effect in the Universe.
Even if being kind doesn’t seem to get you anywhere to begin with, eventually this energy will start weaving through your reality and create a new window for you to see through.
Being kind is one of the most powerful vibrations we can offer the world. Whenever you have the chance, be kind and see how it changes the world that you live in.
