Kindness as a Catalyst: Fostering Wellness, Hope and Humanity
The power of kindness is truly astounding.
Practicing kindness for the sake of kindness is one of the greatest gifts we can give to others and to ourselves.
Its influence is profound and often underestimated. Yet, it is a universal language that brings people together regardless of age, race, religion, economic and social status or identity.
What Is Kindness?
Kindness has been defined as the quality of being gentle, caring, and helpful. It is marked by acts of generosity, consideration, and rendering assistance without the expectation of praise or a reward in return.
It is putting other people’s interest first. Being kind is a choice.
Since kindness involves the sincere desire to help and to bring happiness to others, then love and personal integrity be must be important drivers. Without love there is no compassion to spur someone into action and without integrity there is nothing to compel one to act when no one is looking or there is no personal gain.
Nurturing Wellness Through Kindness
Many studies have shown the physical, emotional and psychological benefits of kindness.
Simple acts of kindness activate our brain’s reward center which increases our “feel good” hormones: dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. This in turn calms our nervous system and lowers anxiety and blood pressure.
Deeds of goodwill are linked to a heightened sense of trust and connectivity to others, improved relationships and self-esteem as well as a reduced sense of loneliness. By boosting happiness, the “Helper’s High, our heart-felt gestures of compassion combat depression by getting us out of our self-focused mode.
Showing kindness and compassion can ease stress for the giver, the receiver and even those watching.
Clinical care settings can be particularly stressful for both providers and patients. A study conducted in a pediatric dental clinic compared responses of both parents and staff after viewing kindness media and children’s programing.
Participants who simply watched kindness media had significant increases in feeling happy, calm, more grateful and less irritated with trends observed in feeling more optimistic and less anxious. Kindness media caused marked increases in viewers reports of feeling inspired, moved or touched.
The Hope and Human Factor of Kindness
“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
Kindness grows from the awareness that we all struggle in this life.
Kind people recognize that life is tough, messy and unpredictable. They also understand that everyone is doing the best they can with the tools, knowledge and experience they have.
Orly Wahba shares some beautiful insights in her TED talk, the Power of Kindness.
She tells us that we can all be a “LifeVest” to another person. A life vest gives you the ability to stay afloat in a world that sometimes seems to be pulling you downward. Through the kindness you give others and the kindness that others give to you, we keep each other afloat in this world. Kindness can go from one person to the next.
We cannot prevent the obstacles, mishaps, and problems from occurring. But, what we all can do is throw someone a life vest, a life line of kindness. Even though they may still be surrounded by their troubles, the vest could be the difference between life and death. We can be Hope-Givers, assuring them that everything is going to be OK.
There are times in all of our lives that we need to be reminded that we matter and to have returned to us our sense of meaning and purpose.
She concludes her talk by asking and answering the question, “Why do we feel good when we are engaged in an act of kindness or giving?” It is because we are catching a glimpse of our potential, being validated for the right reasons as opposed to what society tells us should validate us.
It does not matter how much money we have in the bank, how many friends we have or how many people “like” our Instagram picture. Happiness comes from within.
When we start using our eyes to see goodness in the world, to see goodness in ourselves, that goodness and kindness will be reflected back to us, giving us hope.
Kindness is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and interconnectedness. Spreading hope, encouragement and benevolence is a huge gesture that can be shared with the smallest acts of kindness.
Here is the link to a beautiful video she created called, The Kindness Boomerang.
“Ah, Kindness. What a simple way to tell another struggling soul that there is love to be found in this world”
The Ripple Effect of Kindness
What if you could change someone’s life story and open the gate to a better future through your kindness?
What if it is not only about sharing your treasures and assets with another person but helping them discover their own?
Several years ago, I started attending the annual summit conference of the Global Leadership Network (GLS) “To inspire and equip world-class leadership that ignites transformation”, is their mission statement. The GLS live streams their annual leadership conference to several prisons and correction facilities because they believe that EVERYONE has influence and that is possible to change lives by inspiring, educating, providing tools and building new foundations even in the prison population.
This is the impact story of one woman, incarcerated for 20 years, who wanted to change the culture of Rockville Correctional Facility after seeing the GLS Annual Summit Conference. The one word that kept coming back to her was, “Kindness.”
Shay White broke through barriers of hostility, suspicion and hopelessness with her “Kindness Challenge”. Starting with one small act at a time she created a ripple effect that had a profound impact on the lives of these incarcerated women and the staff.
Kindness Matters
Kindness is a way of life. It is recognizing that each person matters and that their lives have meaning and purpose. It is a reminder that there still is good in this world. Kindness is a force strong enough to drastically change your life as well as the lives of the people around you.
The power of kindness is extraordinary and far-reaching. We may never know just how big an impact small acts of kindness can have on someone else. Do it anyway.
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”