And now a message from our sponsor....Kindness. Ahhh kindness. It just has a ring to it. It feels soft and warm. Seems easy, right? Well I have been thinking about kindness lately, and I find that it really means different things to different people. Some people may think kindness is a sign of weakness. For others, it just does not come naturally. But I think that overall people in general understand that kindness is good. It is the opposite of meanness. For me, kindness is my second nature. I usually always choose kindness, in my mind, but do I? I have made some observations lately that are not particularly profound, but the more I though about it I realized I don't always feel like being kind, and that kindness does take effort. And like beauty, kindness also lies in the eyes of the beholder- how it is perceived may be different. Case and point I recently observed my daughter being very unkind to my son. I don't remember particularly what the conflict was (they are 10 and 13, so the conflicts are endless!) But as I watched my daughter call my son terrible names, I asked her why she did that, and of course she really didn't know. But, we dug deeper and found that what was driving her inability to be kind was- at this particular moment- pure jealousy. She wanted something he had- which was at the time, my attention. So, it has caused me to ask myself at those times when I don't feel like being kind, why? What is driving my desire to just not put in the energy it would take to be kind? Like any introspection, it's not pretty or fun, but it can really be a life changer.
As I read the news daily, I long to see kindness. I know it is there, but it seems sorely lacking in our society. So as we introspect our own culture, we need to search for the WHY. Why is kindness hard to come by these days. Or is it? As I look ahead I will make an effort to be kind; kind in my words, actions and even thoughts. And on those moments when I don't feel like being kind- say to my kids, the person in the car in front of me, or a person I don't even know, I will look inside and try to figure out what is driving that, and try to let it go and just be KIND.
So as we continue on this Journey of Respect, Kindness and Responsibility (RKR) I see these three attributes coming together as a triad; each interlocking, leaning on the other. As I think of kindness, I see that if Respect is in place....Kindness simply follows. Then maybe it wouldn't be a chore. Maybe it would happen more. As I share this mantra (RKR) more and more I see that it is a simple message that can change lives. What are your thoughts? Share a little RKR today. Be a RocKeR.
