Did you know about Be Kind to Humankind week from August 25-31, 2018? I love this idea – a week to remind us all to take time out of our busy schedules to be kind to others! (It should be said that I advocate for kindness all day, every day, but this is a great reminder and a way to spark conversation about the principles and care and compassion.)
Each day has a different theme:
- Sacrifice Sunday
- Motorist Monday
- Touch-A-Heart Tuesday
- Willing Wednesday
- Thoughtful Thursday
- Forgiveness Friday
- Speak Kindness Saturday
I know kindness matters. Trust me, we’ve all been there. Life gets hard and overwhelming, and one kind word or act makes all the difference. But please remember, it also begins with you. How are you kind to yourself? What do you say to yourself about who you are and your strengths?
I feel strongly about our ability to choose kindness; I would argue it is the best character trait we can teach our children as well. I chatted about Being Kind to Yourself and Being Kind to Others in recent podcasts; this topic is very near and dear to my heart!
I believe the next step to kindness is compassion. What’s interesting is that scientists are finding that compassion is essentially hard-wired into our brains and our bodies, thanks to the “compassion instinct.” When feeling kindness and compassion, it triggers areas of our brains associated with positive emotions and pleasure as well as the production of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes nurturing, trust, generosity, and long-term bonds. (If you’re interested in more information about this, I highly recommend reading Dacher Keltner’s book, Born to Be Good.)
I would like to invite you to take some time to consider
- What do you bring to the world to make it a better place?
- How do you demonstrate kindness and compassion to yourself and others
- How do you teach your kids to be kind? What are you currently doing and what can you plan to do?
So how do we make kindness and compassion everyday habits? First, start with challenging your family to take part in the Be Kind to Humankind week of activities. I also would encourage you to put one act of kindness on your calendar each week. You can’t forget it that way! I also love these Compassion It wristbands. They are a great conversation-starter AND a tool to remember to choose compassion (and courage) every day! We love our bands – and have even had to purchase more to share with our friends.
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on kindness and compassion! Please share — we can all learn from each other in this community of strength and support. Please remember that through our actions, we can make the world a better (and more compassionate) place!
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