Did you know that the fastest way to get over feeling sick, tired, sorry for yourself is to do something for someone else? Kindness pays off in ways we cannot begin to imagine – it blesses both the giver and the receiver. And sometimes it creates the kind of boomerang effect that you don’t know where will end.
Here are ten great reasons to be kind:
1. Kindness feels good
We all carry around the weight of daily life. Taking care of our families, work obligations, money management challenges and health concerns can leave us feeling drained. Taking a moment to do something nice for someone else can give us a quick emotional lift that packs a powerful feel-good punch.
2. Kindness is contagious
When we do something nice for a stranger, co-worker, family member or loved one, that small act stirs up thankfulness. The waves of appreciation felt by the person who benefited from your kindness, makes them want to pass it on. Your small act of kindness can create a ripple effect that touches people you may not even ever meet.
3. Kindness is free
You may say to yourself, I can’t be generous because I have nothing to give. Kindness is a state of mind; it costs us nothing. Kindness may be as simple as smiling with the cashier at the supermarket, holding the door open for a colleague, or paying a genuine compliment to a family member. The act of giving opens the door for abundance to flow into our lives.
4. Kindness can change lives
Rev. John Watson once said “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” One small act of kindness can make a person’s day, and even change their life forever. When you decide to be nice to someone with expecting nothing in return, then you begin to change the world.
5. Kindness makes friends
Kindness sows seeds of friendship. When we are kind to others, our best selves shine through, and we become more attractive those around us. Kindness also deepens love; it can breathe new life into a lack-luster relationship.
6. Kindness ends sadness
When we perform an act of kindness, in that moment we forget our own troubles to focus on someone else. In that moment, as we focus on the well-being of someone else, our own sadness, loneliness or depression disappears.
7. Kindness broadens your horizons
In order to be kind, we must look outside ourselves, and our immediate circumstances. When we look for opportunities to be kind, we start noticing people, the ways they are similar to us, and the details of their lives. You may begin to see a fascinating richness in your surroundings you never experienced before.
8. Kindness is habit-forming
Some experts agree that it is impossible to rid ourselves of habits completely. But we can trade bad habits for good ones. When we commit to performing random acts of kindness, after a while it happens automatically without us having to think about it.
9. Kindness makes us better people
To become a person who is regularly kind to other people is to become a better person. People will want to be around us and we will be happier with ourselves and more contented with our lives.
10. Kindness brings meaning to our lives
Chronic feelings of emptiness are one of the major psychological symptoms affecting people today. Emptiness stems from a feeling of being able to make a difference in the world. Doing good replaces helplessness with action, and we realize that we are doing our part to change the world every day.
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