The Kindness of--You
By Susan D. Rostkoski, Principal Consultant
In the spirit of many traditions this winter season, our focus is on compassion, giving, and providing for others; all of those attributes of our better nature.
Kindness is the word that we most often see in our various social media platforms. According to Dictionary.com, “Kindness is 1) the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate and 2) harboring a spirit of helpfulness, as well as being generous and considerate, and doing so without expecting anything in return.”
Recently a friend told me of a challenge in which you find a jar or dish and put a penny in it each time you recognize that you have done a kindness for others. Taking note of your own kindnesses can take many forms.
Self – Did you linger just a little longer at the Christmas tree because it brought up happy memories? Did you sing carols out loud in the car just to have a one-person celebration?
Family/friends – Did you double up on your special soup recipe because you wanted to share it with the folks next door? Or did you finally organize the pictures of that special Hannukah celebration to give to your grandma?
Community – Did you sit at a table for the soccer team or the theater program or the high school band, handing out flyers and smiles and information?
World – Did you send a check or volunteer with an organization that is making a difference, whether at home or abroad?
In our busy lives, too often we criticize ourselves for not doing more. The “if only I had enough time, fewer commitments, more resources” latches onto our thinking and drags us down. So would you please stop punishing yourself and start recognizing the impact you make on those who are recipients of your kindness? Reinforcement that you are making a difference is critical. After all, aren’t you encouraged when you recognize the kind acts of others? Mr. Rogers said that his mother responded to scary news by telling him to, “Look for the helpers”—and sometimes that helper is you.
So please, try the penny jar exercise and recognize how much you are contributing in the midst of it all.
As always, please contact us if we can help you accomplish your mission (www.strategic-cc.com).