Imagine a world where kindness is the mission. Hard to picture? Ok, imagine a country or state with the same mission. Still can't picture it? Maybe a smaller version is where to start! Imagine a city that only practices kindness; a Utopian society of sorts. With Dallas having a population of 16,000 this is could be an easier mission to accomplish than not! With the founding of "The Kindness Club" the foundation is already set! The Kindness club has one simple mission: Be Kind to Others!
Practicing kindness isn't only a good thing for everyone involved, it's also a self fulfilling prophecy! Author Matt Kahn states: “When human interactions become a way of practicing self-acceptance by treating others with more patience, kindness, and respect, a constant need to be heard shifts into listening as an act of love.”
Benefits Of Kindness
Kindness has many benefits including increased happiness and a healthy heart. It slows down the aging process and improves relationships and connections, which indirectly boosts your health.
People believe kindness is particular to those of religious faith because of their moral vows. Kindness does not require you to be of religious faith or even spiritual. Demonstrations of kindness are observed in man’s best friend, the dog. Cats also show kindness and are treasured for their emotional connection.
Kindness broadens your life’s frame of reference and is a symbol of respect to value the receiver.
It influences the giver more than the receiver and has correlations with enhanced mental, emotional and physical well-being.
Through the 1990s, the late Dr. Masaru Emoto performed a series of experiments examining the natural effects of words, prayers, music and environment on the crystalline structure of water. He noted when kind and loving words were conveyed to the water, they formed a complete crystal structure compared to energies of hate and anger.
Considering approximately 70% of our body is made up of water, kindness has a direct impact on our immediate health.
People believe kindness signifies weakness and being taken advantage of. It’s important to delineate between kindness and being a doormat to others. You can be kind and assertive when others attempt to profit from your kindness.
Author Matt Kahn states: “When human interactions become a way of practicing self-acceptance by treating others with more patience, kindness, and respect, a constant need to be heard shifts into listening as an act of love.”
You should in no way undermine your self-worth at the expense of others, but simply practice kindness while upholding your integrity.
Be Kind Anyway
It’s no surprise wicked acts have a greater impression on us than acts of kindness. We are alerted to fear more than goodness.
Psychologists believe we are wired to detect that which threatens our survival and happiness. We give attention to acts of cruelty in the news because it is perceived as a threat to our survival.
In these times of disingenuous social media interactions, unkindness abounds as people hide behind screens.
This does not make it appropriate to abuse others. There is a person on the other side of the screen with feelings we must take into account.
An important lesson in kindness involves asking yourself: ‘How would I handle being the recipient of this?’ If it doesn’t feel good avoid the behaviour.
“Hurt is hurt, and every time we honour our own struggle and the struggles of others by responding with empathy and compassion, the healing that results affects all of us,” avows author and social researcher Brené Brown in Rising Strong.
I wish to leave you with a passage from Mother Teresa’s poem titled Anyway,in which she states: “People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centred; forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.”
Incorporate the smallest acts of kindness into your everyday life and notice the ripple effects. The Butterfly Effect in Chaos Theory asserts that a tiny event in one region of the globe can have a substantial effect somewhere else.
Armed with this knowledge, it is the Dalai Lama who reminds us that if you can’t be kind, avoid harming others. If you'd like to show the world, or at least the City of Dallas that you practice kindness, you can do so in several ways!
Stop in at The Kindness Club booth at Krazy Dayz on July 26-27. Friday 10-8 or Saturday 10-8
You can purchase your "Kindness Swag"!
Yard sign $20.00 or 2 for $35.00
Window decal $2.00
Raffle tickets. $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00
Moonfall theater tickets $20.00
T-shirts $5.00
Sponsor one backpack for a year. $400.00 Sponsor one backpack for a month $40.00 Sponsor one backpack $10.00
Make a $5.00 or more donation and receive a Kindness Club bracelet. There will be 20 separate drawings for a quilt, dinner and movie for 2, large wine and cheese basket, folded book art, a yard sign, window decals, and more.
Help make our community the Kindest town in Oregon.
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