Yesterday was #WorldKindnessDay to celebrate I gave my meditation class that night a ‘love teabag’ (pictured). Not much really I know, but the intention was there and as Scott Adams said: “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”
I’ve been inviting my monday night Mindfulness group to practice ‘random acts of kindness’ as part of their mindfulness training homework. Small things such as making a colleague a cup of tea or letting people out in traffic. The feedback has been amazing. People really notice the difference it makes in their day – they feel happier and more relaxed when they are doing kind things for others – and it’s not costing anything.
You may feel we have little to offer, but whether it is a few pence or a huge donation, a cup of tea or dinner it is the act of giving itself that is important. As Gandhi said “Almost anything we do will seem insignificant, but it is very important that we do it.” And when you do it you will find that you feel different – lighter and happier.
Science has proven that kindness changes the brain, impacts the heart and immune system, and may even be an antidote to depression. We’re actually genetically wired to be kind. As many of my students said – ‘I do these things naturally’. Well of course you do but then like all of us get caught up in your projects and plans and busyness and before you know it you don’t have time to let people out in the traffic or to stay behind and help a colleague for 5 minutes!
Darwin actually wrote about survival of the most cooperative, not survival of the fittest. It was because we helped each other that the human race survived. Kindness has evolved in us and its effects are felt daily throughout our nervous systems. When we’re kind, our bodies are healthiest. Kindness and compassion alter the neural structures of our brains;
Practising kindness nourishes your soul and leaves you with renewed optimism – try it – it doesn’t cost anything and may even help you feel a bit better today.