Kindle Kindness

Nowadays I hear people saying, 'Let's normalize this' or 'Let's normalize that'. I'm saying, 'Let's light a fire under kindness to each other.' The ripple effect of kindness cannot be glorified enough. Remember that feeling we get when we witness an act of kindness. I don't know about you, but if I witness kindness on a given day, at a certain moment, I can be moved to tears. Other times it just feels good to see. And what about when you deliver kindness to someone at some unexpected moment? How does it make you feel? Like the right thing to do? Have you ever been on the receiving end of kindness? Take in the idea that someone you know, or a stranger saw you and wanted to make sure you were okay. How does that feel?

Quick Story

A Bible Story Summarized

In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, a lawyer asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds by asking what is written in the law, and the lawyer answers correctly: to love God and love your neighbor. Seeking to justify himself, the lawyer asks, "Who is my neighbor?"

Jesus tells a story: A man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by robbers, who leave him half dead. A priest and a Levite both pass by without helping. However, a Samaritan, despite the cultural enmity between Jews and Samaritans, stops and has compassion on the man. He tends to the man's wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care.

Jesus concludes by asking which of the three men was a neighbor to the injured man. The lawyer answers, "The one who showed mercy." Jesus tells him to go and do likewise, emphasizing that being a neighbor means showing compassion and mercy to anyone in need.

What we know so far...

Physiologically, kindness can positively change your brain by boosting levels of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters produce feelings of satisfaction and well-being, and cause the pleasure and reward centers in your brain to light up. Endorphins, your body's natural painkiller, also may be released when you show kindness.

Practice the art of kindness - Mayo Clinic Health System

Diessner says this desire to commit acts of kindness after witnessing such an act is temporary; watching a depressing video an hour later, for instance, can turn our focus inward. The good news is, his research suggests that the more often we witness acts of kindness, the more likely we are to notice these and other forms of moral beauty — and the cumulative effect of witnessing these scenarios makes us even more primed to be kind.

How witnessing acts of kindness benefit our brains (mic.com)

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An Activity I've used...

Journal entry: List the ways in which I have been kind to others in the last 7 days. List the kindness I have witnessed in the last 7 days. List eh ways in which people have been kind to me in the last 7 days.

Breathe and Believe Journal

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Quotes and Interpretations

Kindness can touch anyone.

A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love. Saint Basil

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. Unknown

If we use kindness as our philosophy, or our religion, we would use temples only to discuss our next collective kind actions; and that would be our service.

When we recognize the importance of kindness, we are truly on a wise journey.

Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. Franklin D. Roosevelt

If you think this message is good enough, help me spread it by forwarding this blog to a friend.