Kindness: the ripple effect
How far will it go?
My morning guided meditation from Calm centered around kindness. Kindness is very much a ripple effect, because we never know how far it will reach.
When one pebble is dropped into the calm waters of a small pond, it can reach all the way to the edges. What was once still now gently bobs with the reverberation of the ripple emanating outward.
Kindness can happen in so many ways. We can smile at a stranger, wave to others as we drive down the street, or hold the door open for someone. It takes a second or two, it’s free, and we have no idea where that kindness is going to lead next.
Simply asking someone, “How are you doing?”, and honestly listening to the answer might just be what the other person needs. Maybe he’s having a rough day and needs to vent or maybe she has exciting news to share and has been waiting and hoping someone would ask. When we come from a place of authenticity in asking a routine question, it is no longer routine. Having genuine interest in the person’s response is an act of kindness.
Sending a text each morning to three people you care about gets their day started off in such a positive way. Just letting them know how much they mean to you and wishing them an amazing day is all you need to do.
The thing about being kind is that it isn’t grandiose. It’s not like someone jumping into the pond screaming, “Canon ball!!”, in order to grab everyone’s attention with a gigantic wave. Kindness is not self-serving. It is serving others. It is making them feel wanted, needed, loved, and appreciated. It is not about the person giving but the person receiving. But the cool thing is that by giving, you also feel warmth just because you’ve done something outside of yourself.
Kindness is not about keeping track. It’s not about, “I did this for you, so you need to do this for me.” It’s all about the act of doing. It can be random, anonymous, and/or just jumping in when we see a need without being asked. When we go about kindness by answering the question, “What will I do to add a little sunshine to another human’s day?”, then we are moving in the right direction. When it becomes a way of life without even asking that question, then that’s something pretty amazing.
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