A Few Tips to Acing Kindness
Henry James, a late 19th Century American-British author once said,
““Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.””
Kindness is an important part of our everyday experiences. When it is present, we marvel at the positive experiences it gives us and we walk away from a kind act with a spring in our step. When kindness is absent, we are also quick to notice and comment on how negative this may have made us feel.
What then is kindness? A simple Google search provides a definition of kindness as, “the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.” How can we use friendliness, generosity and consideration to show kindness to others? Here are a few suggestions:
To show friendliness, wear a smile at all times.
When you do this, others will be more comfortable in your presence and will reward you with a smile in return. A smile somehow influences how we feel and see others. When we smile, we can’t help but be happy; and who doesn’t want to be around a happy person? We can’t smile and be grouchy at the same time, so let us comfortably wear a smile when we interact with others to promote a happy atmosphere. If possible, it is also friendly to start a conversation as this helps to put others at ease. We can also use a smile to show kindness to those who work in the service industry. With so much pressure to offer good customer service, they always appreciate a smile in return, and sometimes it is just what they need to make their day.
Be generous with your compliments.
Just this past summer, as I was enjoying a walk around my neighbourhood park I was uplifted by my fellow walkers’ generosity with their compliments. Within a short space of time, I was showered with, “I like your glasses,” “that’s a beautiful hat,” “nice dress.” As expected, these compliments left a smile on my face, more so because I hadn’t embarked on my afternoon walk with any kind of expectation. The power of strangers’ generosity added a beautiful touch to my enjoyable walk, in amazing weather and surroundings. By being aware of those around us, we will be able to give genuine compliments and make someone’s day. So please go ahead and compliment those you come into contact with.
To show consideration, create a welcoming environment for others.
When I was growing up, my mother constantly taught my siblings and me the value of consideration without ever using the word, “consideration.” She did this by bringing to my attention the importance of respecting my siblings’ spaces and anything that belonged to them. My mother was also big on respecting others’ quiet time. She would always remind us to maintain low voices if we happened to be out of bed when other family members were still having much-needed rest. When we had relatives visiting with children within our age group, my mother taught us how to be considerate hosts. It was our responsibility to interact with our many cousins and ensure they enjoyed their visits to our home. This translated to how we interacted with new kids in school and later new employees within the workforce. If we were visiting friends, we were taught to read the room and not overstay our visit either. We were taught that it was better to leave and give people the chance to miss you than spend too much time such that they don’t want to see you again. Most of all we were not to overlook saying “please” and “thank you” to show appreciation for the time and energy people spent on us.
Acts of kindness are individual and always appreciated by most recipients. Sometimes a person who has been shown kindness might be inspired to show kindness to the next person they come into contact with, and this could snowball until at least a few more people are touched in a day. Let us be catalysts of kindness and add to experiences of positivity in our communities.
