Yesterday, we talked about giving it our all with everything we do. Today is a new day.
Sometimes even the smallest act of kindness can have a profound effect on someone's life. Since I started posting my art on deviantArt, I've met many people who have shown me kindness. Whether it's a like or a small comment, I've come to have very thought-provoking and interesting conversations with some of the people I've come across. What started out as a simple comment transformed into some of the most deep and genuine relationships I've had.
The effect goes beyond just that site, too. What I've taken from these conversations has inspired a lot of my writing, the ideas I've had in my head for my art, and have also generated positivity in my day-to-day life. In many ways the kindness that has been shown to me has helped me transform my life so much for the better. I don't think I would have started this series had I not met these people. Just asking someone how they're doing could be the start of a deep an intimate relationship. You never know, but that's not the point of being kind, either. It's being kind for the sake of being kind. No expectations.
Some people forget that kindness is also a two-way street. Sometimes we hear kind words and take it the wrong way. "What's their motive?" "Are they hitting on me?" "They're just being nice it doesn't mean anything." Or maybe we just misunderstood what was being said. Regardless of why kindness may come your way, it doesn't matter. We can't read minds and so it's not our place to assume something when if we don't know the full situation. As such I think there's no point in thinking about why and just appreciating the fact that someone was being kind toward you.
I think it's also important to allow yourself to accept any kindness that comes your way. If you never allow yourself to take a compliment and really be thankful for it you'll end up closing your heart from the rest of the world little by little. As with practicing compassion toward others, letting others show compassion to you is just as important for our emotional balance.
Lastly, it feels good when people do nice things for you, but it feels even better when you're able to do things for other people, too. Even if it's something as simple as smiling and saying hello to a complete stranger, it feels good to do good. You never know, even the most fleeting of moments can feel like a lifetime for some people.
The movie Pay it Forward is a wonderful example of how being kind to others can have an amazing effect on the world. In the movie, the characters do something kind for someone and simply ask that they "pay it forward", or do something kind for someone else for the sake of being kind. These acts had a positive impact on the persons' lives and this effect spread on to others as well. Just like the impact someone else's kindness may have had on you, what you do for others could have the same effect and create a cycle of reciprocation.
A common ripple can become a tsunami with enough time. That simple 'hello' could very well change a person's life forever.
Peace
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless." - Mother Teresa"A kind deed a day keeps the doctor away" is a philosophy I was taught when I was younger and is something I try to practice in my daily life. You ever have a bad day and someone approaches you to tell you to have a good day and that they hoped you felt better? You ever go through your day normally and someone just gives you some food without asking for anything in return? Whenever anything like this happens to me it always puts a smile to my face. It's a reminder that the world isn't so bad and that we all just want to be happy.
Sometimes even the smallest act of kindness can have a profound effect on someone's life. Since I started posting my art on deviantArt, I've met many people who have shown me kindness. Whether it's a like or a small comment, I've come to have very thought-provoking and interesting conversations with some of the people I've come across. What started out as a simple comment transformed into some of the most deep and genuine relationships I've had.
The effect goes beyond just that site, too. What I've taken from these conversations has inspired a lot of my writing, the ideas I've had in my head for my art, and have also generated positivity in my day-to-day life. In many ways the kindness that has been shown to me has helped me transform my life so much for the better. I don't think I would have started this series had I not met these people. Just asking someone how they're doing could be the start of a deep an intimate relationship. You never know, but that's not the point of being kind, either. It's being kind for the sake of being kind. No expectations.
Some people forget that kindness is also a two-way street. Sometimes we hear kind words and take it the wrong way. "What's their motive?" "Are they hitting on me?" "They're just being nice it doesn't mean anything." Or maybe we just misunderstood what was being said. Regardless of why kindness may come your way, it doesn't matter. We can't read minds and so it's not our place to assume something when if we don't know the full situation. As such I think there's no point in thinking about why and just appreciating the fact that someone was being kind toward you.
I think it's also important to allow yourself to accept any kindness that comes your way. If you never allow yourself to take a compliment and really be thankful for it you'll end up closing your heart from the rest of the world little by little. As with practicing compassion toward others, letting others show compassion to you is just as important for our emotional balance.
Lastly, it feels good when people do nice things for you, but it feels even better when you're able to do things for other people, too. Even if it's something as simple as smiling and saying hello to a complete stranger, it feels good to do good. You never know, even the most fleeting of moments can feel like a lifetime for some people.
The movie Pay it Forward is a wonderful example of how being kind to others can have an amazing effect on the world. In the movie, the characters do something kind for someone and simply ask that they "pay it forward", or do something kind for someone else for the sake of being kind. These acts had a positive impact on the persons' lives and this effect spread on to others as well. Just like the impact someone else's kindness may have had on you, what you do for others could have the same effect and create a cycle of reciprocation.
A common ripple can become a tsunami with enough time. That simple 'hello' could very well change a person's life forever.
Peace
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| Sowing the seeds of kindness can bloom into a beautiful garden that spreads joy to those who encounter it. |
Today's assignment: offer some short, easy-to-speak kind words and observe what echoes they might leave behind.
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