“Be kind, Be Kind, Be Kind.”

What does it mean to be kind?

Kindness is a remarkable and beautiful quality that can spread its reach far through society from a single gesture or comment.

Kindness encapsulates all that is good within society. It is love, patience, compassion, mercy, empathy, honesty, understanding, and acceptance.

Kindness is the ability to understand someone else’s situation, experience, feelings, and behaviours. It is this empathy that can be the foundation of concern for someone, fuelling the understanding that they need kindness.

Kindness is acting without expectation, reciprocation or recognition (although there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the good feelings it generates within us).

The positive effects of kindness are experienced by everyone who witnesses an act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to be kind themselves. This means one good deed can create a domino effect and improve the day of many.

There has even been scientifically proven benefits of being kind. It has been shown to decrease pain, anxiety, depression, stress and even blood pressure.

“Committing acts of kindness lowers blood pressure.” According to Dr David R. Hamilton, “acts of kindness create emotional warmth, which releases a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical called nitric oxide, which dilates the blood vessel”

The more positive your mind-set is the more productive, happy and creative you become. Your perception of ‘quality of life’ can change as well as your perception of others around you.

When it comes to kindness, we often forget about that one person who is closest to home, and that is ourselves. It is important that we treat ourselves with the same respect and behaviours that we would, someone we care about.

“You will never speak to anyone more than you speak to yourself, be kind to yourself”.

So remember to be kind every day, whether that is to a loved one, your neighbour, a stranger or yourself. The world will be a better place for it.

“Be kind, Be Kind, Be Kind.”

By John Kennedy-Good

SVDP Wellington Area President