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Like a muscle that gets stronger with each repetition of lifting a weight, kindness is a trait that we can build and internalize with each act of kindness we commit. We need not *feel* kind first before becoming kinder. In fact, the opposite is true. Once we "act" the part, we become what we do.
A couple of months back I ran an excerpt from the book, "Marriage: A Wise and Sensitive Guide to Making Any Marriage Even Better" by my dear friend and valued mentor/teacher, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin. This week, I hope you'll enjoy some tips from his book, "Kindness: Changing People's Lives for The Better" (Mesorah Publications, Ltd.). Here are 20 individual acts of kindness we can do today.
1. Be resolved to become a kind person. How do you do this? Think, speak and act with kindness.
2. Love kindness. When you do what you love, you are happy. A master of kindness is a master of joy.
3. When encountering someone, let your first thoughts be, "What kind words can I say to this person and what kind of things can I do?"
4. Keep asking people, "What can I do for you?"
5. Everyone needs encouragement. Ask yourself, "What can I say that will be encouraging?"
6. Wherever you are, you are there for a reason. Ask yourself, "Since I am here now, what kindness can I do?"
7. Every kind person is unique. You have unique talents, skills, knowledge, and resources. Utilize them to help others in your own unique way. Ask yourself, "In what unique ways can I be kind?"
8. Do a daily act of kindness without letting anyone know who did it.
9. Learn from every kind act you see or read about. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this to be kinder?"
10. A valuable rule is, "Even if you don't feel like a kind person, you can still act like one." Think of a kind act you can do that you don't feel like doing.
11. Think of a kindness telephone call that you can make today.
12. Think of a kindness note, letter, or email that you can write today.
13. View your own pain, distress, and suffering as tools for empathy and understanding. Ask yourself, "How can this experience help me be a kinder person?"
14. Keep asking yourself, "If I were this person, what would I want others to do for me?"
15. As soon as you recognize a need, volunteer to do something about it. Don't wait until you are asked.
16. Listen to those who need a listening ear. Listening to someone is a great act of kindness.
17. If you know that someone is looking for a job or needs to earn more money, ask yourself, "What can I do to make it happen?"
18. Be empathetic and compassionate. Be resolved not to cause distress, pain, or loss with your words and action.
19. Learn from everyone. Keep asking people, "What kindness from others have you appreciated?"
20. Pray for the welfare of others.
If you'd like, print this out, make numerous copies and hand out to your children, friends, and anyone else you feel might benefit. Review from time to time. Remember, "A master of kindness is a master of joy."
Bob Burg
20 Ideas for Improving
the Trait of Kindness
"I think, at a child's birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity."
Eleanor Roosevelt
The ancient Romans built such an excellent system of roads that the saying arose "all roads lead to Rome," that is, no matter which road one starts a journey on, he will finally reach Rome if he keeps on traveling. The popular saying came to mean that all ways or methods of doing something end in the same result, no method being better than another.
