The Discipline Of Kindness

While deciding what to write about today, I kept coming back to kindness.  It is so important to me.  It is so important in our world.  I believe it has always been important. It can change our lives......

The action of being kind brings so many rewards.  It is an actual lifestyle, mind set, and reality.  I believe that kindness just creates a better "now", right here, right now, which leads to a better future.

Kindness towards ourselves so important.  We can go about our day, extending kindness to our families, to strangers, to animals and yet, in a moment, we allow the little voices in our heads to forget to give kindness to ourselves!  We are so busy, list of things to accomplish, but I bet being kind to oneself is not on the agenda!

I found this quote this morning and it really resonated with me.

"Many years ago, early in our relationship, my wife, Devers, said something that impressed me profoundly.  "You are a very kind, generous, and caring -- when you stop long enough in what you are doing for it to occur to you.  What you have never learned is the discipline of kindness.  This means kindness that is not a matter of mood or convenience.  It means kindness as a basic way of functioning.  It is in you as a potential, but it doesn't happen without consciousness and discipline."

"The discipline of kindness" -- I have learned to love that phrase.  When I mention it in lectures, everyone seems instantly to know what it means - just as, I suspect, you do now.

Nathaniel Branden

(Self Esteem Everyday)

I love that.  I had to reread it several times, but it is spot on.  Kindness happens when you believe in it.  You don't have to think it through, you just act. I want to be kinder to myself, like I treat other people.  I want to feel that goodness that is in me, and nurture it.   We are all on different life plans, that is what makes us so interesting as humans.  We are not racing to a finish.  We are on a journey and it should be fun and fabulous.  When I forget to laugh at myself, I miss out on a good chuckle.
When I forget to be kind to myself, I miss out on growing stronger.

I believe I learned kindness from my mom.  She is one of the kindness people I have ever known.
This was evident by her actions, towards our family, but always towards strangers!  It would drive us nuts, when we were kids.  You see a car on the side of the road, it is hot and in the middle of nowhere.  Yep, you guess it we would have to stop, load the family in the ole station wagon, and get them to a gas station.....I could recount story after story.  Those were the days, before you had a cell phone or had to pass somebody by because of the danger that might exist!  Thanks for leading by example Mom!

 

Let your kindness shine today!

Let it shine towards others! 

Let it shine towards yourself!

 

 

 

Quote for the day:

 

"So many Gods, so many creeds,

So many paths that wind and wind,

While just the art of being kind

Is all the sad world needs."

 

Ella Wheeler Wilcox