Let’s Be More Human!
Have you ever indulged in acts such as helping a blind person cross the road, giving your seat to a senior citizen while traveling by bus, offering a glass of water to a salesperson, etc? What did it make you feel? If I talk about myself, when I perform such acts or even when I witness them my heart blushes with the pure shades of happiness and contentment.
Being kind sounds so simple yet when it comes to actually being kind, people find themselves caged by the what ifs. It’s like they are caught between “I want to” and “Why only me”. If you fall in this category, or if you’re a super kind person, or even if the “I’m not bothered” type of person, this blog post is for you! Read till the end to discover the sparkling realm of kindness, the benefits it serves, and some ways of inculcating kindness.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE KIND?
Being kind is a simple and genuine act of being considerate of others, helping them or yourself and being spirited to be generous. Kindness opens one’s wings to give flight to the idea of benefiting others. Indulging in kindness allows one to act more respectfully towards others, be more grateful, forgiving, and helpful.
Why is Kindness Important?
Kindness is the essence of being human, a basic trait we humans can possess. It helps in making the world a better place to live in, a community knitted with the threads of care, respect, and compassion. We humans are definitely upgrading our lives with modern technologies but forgetting to sustain our humaneness.
Quoting a friend here who says, “People call me kind, when I’m just being human!” My heart got stuck in this simple yet deep statement. Kindness isn’t just important to make others happy or to be happier by one’s good deeds but is necessary for the nourishment of humanity.
Benefits of Kindness
Kindness enhances your self-esteem
Your actions are a mirror of your thoughts. When you indulge in kindness, it ignites the phenomenon called “the helper’s high”. Peeling off the term, it means every selfless act you perform is followed by the rush of positive emotions and a feeling of upliftment. It helps you perceive yourself in a brighter light and boost your self-esteem.
Kindness is good for your health
Kindness showers many physical and mental health benefits. Research shows that being kind improves one’s well being. It helps in lowering the blood pressure and boosting the immune system. Being kind rings the mini celebration alarms of your brain by releasing the happy hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These are the body’s natural mood boosters. Kindness also aids in alleviating the stress levels of a person.
Kindness helps in connecting with people
As social beings, we are expected to be there for others. We help, we connect. Being kind expands one’s social network. It gives a sense of belonging and helps people sustain healthy relationships.
Kindness is contagious
Recalling here the famous dialogue of actor Salman Khan from his movie Jai ho, “Don’t thank me, instead pay it forward by helping three people and asking them to continue the chain, the world will change.” It is likely that if you’re being kind towards someone it’ll instill positive feelings in them, encouraging them to indulge in the acts of kindness.
Kindness instills joy among the giver, receiver, and the witnesses.
Kindness not only scatters happiness among the people involved but also the people around. Being kind is a blessing and seeing someone be kind is pure bliss. Every time I witness someone being kind, my heart smiles.
I remember, once one of my juniors at college was shivering from the cold and needed a shot of coffee. But then instead of sipping the coffee he passed it to an old lady sitting afar. She was an outsider waiting for her husband for a long time. Some of you might think, so what? It was just coffee! But thinking about someone else's needs over yours is a big deal! That one small act made me so happy. It made me believe that kindness does exist, maybe in the corners least explored.
10 Ways to be Kinder
Here are some ways of inculcating kindness:
Practice empathy and try to see things from others’ perspectives.
Show appreciation and gratitude towards others.
Start small by doing random acts of kindness, like holding a door open for someone or complimenting a stranger.
Volunteer your time and skills to help others.
Practice forgiveness and let go of grudges.
Spread positivity and kindness on social media and in your interactions with others.
Be mindful of your words and actions and how they affect others.
Educate yourself on different cultures and perspectives to broaden your understanding and compassion.
Surround yourself with positive and kind people who inspire you to be better.
Practice self-kindness and self-care to improve your own well-being and be better able to give kindness to others
People come and go, what stays is the impressions of how they made you feel. It's quite easy to belittle someone but difficult to uplift them. You'll find a thousand ways to make someone feel bad about themselves but only a few to help them see through the illusions and discover their real self.
We put in so much effort at ‘looking’ our best but barely give a thought to ‘behaving’ our best. Appearances can deceive but not the feelings you ignite through your actions and speech. Your rude comments can just be a few "cool words" for you but it has the power of crushing someone's self-esteem. If you can't help someone rise then at least DON'T KILL their ability to rise.
They say, ‘Not everyone deserves your kindness’, but not everyone deserves meanness as well. We weren’t created by the almighty to walk in this world and demean others. And just shrugging it off by saying, “I have temper issues” is the least of an excuse. That still doesn't give you the right to make someone the container of your anger. We are no one on this humongous planet to be unkind towards others. That doesn’t mean I’m encouraging you to go and hug a thief who broke into your house (you are smart enough to get my point).
Be kind to yourself and others. Believe me, a little kindness wouldn't hurt! Start small, but start today.
What are your thoughts about kindness? Did you like the post? Let me know in the comments below! :)
