How beautiful a day can be when kindness

Happy Wednesday. I hope that you are having a great week so far. Today is Wednesday which means it is time for another edition of Wisdom Wednesday. The virtue I have chosen to discuss is kindness. Kindness is the characteristic of being pleasant, giving, and thoughtful.

The act of kindness can be shown in many ways. Giving money to someone in need, holding the door open for the person behind you, or a smile and a warm hello to a stranger are all examples of acts of kindness. Being kind is a state of mind. It is so easy to believe that kindness is only “goes so far” in this seemingly “me” generation. But being kind actually can go a very long way. Giving of our time, talents, and resources can be a wonderful reward to those who need it the most, but have you ever thought about how you as a giver are affected? You may be surprised to know that you can be affected in many ways by giving, both psychologically and physically.

The consequences of kindness are numerous. Showing kindness even on a tiny level is a wonderful start to helping prove that kindness is still alive and well. Pay-it-forward campaigns have popped up all over the country for this very reason. Just a simple act of doing something for another human being can bring joy to you and to the receiver. When we moved to our new town, the outpouring of kindness from neighbors, business people, and strangers was overwhelming. We had never felt so welcomed as we did when people found out that we were new to town, and to the West Coast! Strangers were literally doing small deeds for us that most families don’t even do. From offering to cut our grass to driving the teenager to school everyday, the warmth of these acts of kindness made us realize that we had made the right decision by moving here.

Giving kindness without looking for anything in return has its own rewards. I have always believed that you get back from this world what you give in to it. Give human kindness, get human kindness—even when it seems like no one cares or notices.

How do you show kindness?

10 Wisdom Wednesday Quotes: Kindness

  1. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” –Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
  2. “For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”—Audrey Hepburn
  3. “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”—Lao Tzu
  4. “I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.”—Khalil Gibran
  5. “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.”—Confucius
  6. “Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others.”—William J.H. Boetcker
  7. “How beautiful a day can be when kindness touches it!”—George Elliston
  8. “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” ― Mark Twain
  9. “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
  10. “The best portion of a good man’s life – his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” –William Wordsworth