Kindness – Actions or Just a Nice Ideal?

Kindness seems to be the word of the moment.

Across the socials, people comment that the world is harsh, cruel and many people regularly say they fear for the future of humanity and the earth.

A valid observation, but is it kind and is it 100%, irrevocably true?

Is it kind to share scary, fear filled posts about all that can be perceived as wrong in the world, or might it be kinder and more helpful to share uplifting, optimistic posts, supporting others to live more happily and confidently.

Yes there are unjust, cruel and completely unacceptable things happening every day across the world and there’s multitudes of people who, for a myriad of reasons, are perpetrators of despicable, corrupt acts of violence against humans, animals and nature but, need we focus on this? There is also great beauty in the world (been out in nature recently?) and many good people.

It’s well known that the more we focus on something, good or bad, positive or negative, we can become quite obsessive about it and it can then affect our moods and our well-being detrimentally.

I see people on the socials (FB in particular) who would most likely call themselves kind people, posting content regularly that does nothing but create fear and negative debate. Do these people actually enjoy frightening others? I don’t believe so, but often they can be insecure and fearful in themselves, quite often with underlying, unresolved anger and social media is a place where they can dump their anger without stopping to think how it might be affecting others.

I’m not suggesting for one minute that we stick our heads in the sand and deny the world is a troubled place, but I’d question whether posting about it constantly is helpful in any way, or simply serves as yet another way to bring people down and fill them with even more fear. Brain science shows that we can influence people more effectively by building them up, not by attempting to scare them into action.

We all have minor and major challenges right throughout our lives. Things happen that we didn’t plan on, unexpected events occur and despite our best efforts to live happily and healthily, our bodies can produce major health issues that take a great deal of energy, resilience and courage to deal with.

The very last thing we need is to be confronted with frightening posts from our social friends but, what we do need is comfort and support, understanding, empathy and yes – true kindness.

My dear husband has an inoperable, large and complex brain aneurysm plus two smaller aneurysms in his heart and neck and if the brain one was to rupture, he wouldn’t survive. (he has Congenital Vascular Disorder from birth and the brain aneurysm is growing on a weak vein).  I have severe asthma and if my bronchial tubes get any narrower than they already are, it’s extremely life threatening. Both our issues are not due to our lifestyle (which is very healthy) but began at birth, but for many years lay undiscovered. Like many others dealing with imminent death hanging over them, it can get stressful and frightening as you learn to deal with these new developments when you thought you had a whole long life ahead of you.

But – what helps us each day to stay strong, in the present moment and choose to have a happy day regardless, is the uplifting content we consume daily. It’s the spiritual and personal development videos, books and audios we watch and listen to. Its our quiet, peaceful meditations, nature and our beloved animals (who are always uplifting!). It’s the regular conversations we share together about our hopes and dreams for our future. It’s the shared moments with empathetic friends who offer caring support. It’s the simple text or message saying ‘thinking of you and I’m sending love your way’.

When we’re dealing with life’s vast complexities, we need kindness, compassion, empathy and support and yes, no matter how short or long our lives may be, Every Day Gets Better.

Thank you to dear Thich Nhat Hahn and to VeryBestQuotes for the image. ❤️