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I just returned from a music tour in the UK, Scotland, and Amsterdam and I was awestruck by the kindness of everyone I met. Every person I encountered gave kindness freely and appeared to truly be enjoying life. Their kindness will stay with me for the rest of my life. That’s the effect of kindness—it can touch you deeply, lift you up, even save your life.
You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the most poignant stories of kindness that I have ever heard is about a high school teacher in New York who decided to show her students how much she appreciated them and the positive difference they made in her life. She gave each of her seniors a blue ribbon which had the words “Who I Am Makes A Difference” imprinted in gold letters. When she presented the ribbons to each student, she also gave them three additional ribbons so that they could create a ripple effect by showing their appreciation for others. They were to present the extra ribbons to people who had positively affected their lives, and report back the following week. One of the students honored a junior executive in a company located nearby for helping him with his career planning. The student gave the junior executive one of the blue ribbons and placed it on his shirt just over his heart. Then the student gave him two additional ribbons and asked him to share them with others who he appreciated. Later that day, the junior executive went to his boss and told him that he deeply admired him and that he considered him to be a creative genius. He asked permission to place the ribbon on the boss’s shirt over his heart. The surprised boss accepted. The junior executive then asked his boss to pass along the extra blue ribbon to someone he appreciated. The boss was known to be grouchy, but that night when he went home, he was in great spirits from the unexpected kindness of his junior executive. When he arrived home, he went straight to his 14-year old son and told him about the incredible thing that had happened to him at work. He was still amazed that the junior executive had told him how much he admired him and that he considered him to be a creative genius! Then the father took out the remaining blue ribbon with the words “Who I Am Makes A Difference” and told his son that on his drive home when he was thinking about who he would most like to give the ribbon to, he thought of him, his son. He told his son that his days at work were often hectic and he realized that when he came home, he didn’t pay much attention to him. He acknowledged that he sometimes screamed at him for not getting better grades in school or for his room being a mess. But, he wanted him to know that besides his wife, his son’s mother, he was the most important person in his life. He told him he loved him and that he was a great kid. The startled boy began to cry and walked over to a drawer, pulled out a gun, and with tears streaming down his face, told his father that he was planning on committing suicide the next day because he didn’t think his Dad loved him. Now, he knew he didn’t need to. This is a true story that was published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and shows the sacred power of kindness.
Kindness, when naturally given from a pure heart, is a way to become more like the Creator.
There are numerous scientifically proven benefits of kindness on the body and mind. Kindness increases oxytocin, the “love hormone” which helps lower blood pressure and improve our heart health. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism and increases our energy levels, self-worth, and happiness. Kindness even increases our lifespan by slowing down the aging process! Kindness decreases pain by producing endorphins—the brain’s natural painkiller. Kindness decreases anxiety and depression and decreases stress by lowering cortisol. With all of these benefits, kindness is a no-brainer!
Kindness is free. Sprinkle that stuff everywhere!
Have you noticed? Kindness is contagious. When someone showers kindness on you, it affects your brain positively and you are likely to pay it forward. And, that’s a good thing.
For me personally, “paying it forward” is an essential part of my mission. After a serious sports injury left me in chronic pain for years on end, I discovered my passion for music and I created My Silent Bravery. My Silent Bravery symbolizes persistence, perseverance and inner strength to overcome obstacles in the face of adversity. It took this type of determination and Grace to move beyond the chronic pain and find relief physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The injury opened the door to my higher calling. I realized that kindness and the “Golden Rule” are essential and non-negotiable for me. One of the ways that I love “paying it forward” is with the Bravehearts, my amazing fans. We connect weekly on MSBTV where we tackle challenges and support and cheer each other on. Join us—I hope to see you there! To learn more, please visit http://mysilentbravery.com/
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
Resources: https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/ and https://blueribbons.org/
Photo credit: Pixabay