I. Why Important
Kindness makes life and relationships more pleasant. Amidst difficulties and adversities, kindness is the cushion that smoothens the roughness of the journey. It is the oil that soothes pain. It is the water that helps souls grow luxuriantly into mature well-balanced individuals.
Without kindness, life is often a struggle, a defense, a competition or a fight. There is no warmth and no love. Kindness is the antidote to the epidemic of hate.
Kindness is an indicator of inner strength, for it is the people who are afraid who need to look tough.
II. The Elements of Kindness
Kindness is characterized by certain qualities:
Gentleness — kindness is conscious not to do injury to others,hence tends to be gentle.
Courteousness — its language is polite, and its manner courteous; it never forgets to say "Please." "Excuse me." "I'm sorry," or "Thank you."
Compassion and sympathy — it feels for others: their pain, their fears. their awkwardness, and letting them feel better
Benevolence and helpfulness — it has a tendency to uplift and help others
Pleasantness — it has a tendency to make things more agreeable, pleasant or cheerful
III. Ways of Expressing Kindness
1. Effectiveness in Relationship
How often have we refused to deal with someone simply because of the other person's attitude or roughness. On the other hand, how often have we met kind people whom we find pleasure in dealing with him or her.
Kindness is a magic ingredient that makes people like to deal with you and to respect you. It is a deterrent against deception and treachery.
"Three-fourths of the people you will meet tomorrow are hungering amid thirsting sympathy. Give it to them, and they will love you."~DALE CARNEGIE
"Kindness; a language which the dumb can speak, and the deaf can understand."~ C.N. BOVEE
2. In Giving Feedback to Others
Many times we need to give feedback to someone, either a family member, a co-worker, a friend or a public official. Without kindness, the feedback becomes criticism or fault finding or reproach, and the result is that the other person tends to refuse to listen.
When, however, a feedback is motivated by sympathy and love, the other person will sense this and will be more inclined to truly listen to the criticism, and to correct the shortcoming.
"The only to speak the truth is to speak lovingly."~ HENRY DAVID THOREAU
"Kind words are the music of the world. They have a power which seems to be beyond natural causes, as if they were some angel's song which had lost its way and come on earth. It seems as if they could almost do what to reality God alone can do — soften the hard and angry hearts of men.
No one was ever corrected by sarcasm — crushed, perhaps, if the sarcasm was clever enough, but drawn nearer to God, never."~ W.F. FABER
3. In Teaching Children
Raising children can be likened to growing trees. Expose them early to violent typhoons; they grow up hard but bent and crooked. Expose them to warm sunshine, fresh water, and gentle wind, and they grow up straight, pliable and luxuriant.
Children grow best in an atmosphere of loving kindness. They in turn become sensitive and considerate.
"Kindness is the sunshine in which virtue grows."
~ ROBERT G. INGERSOLL
4. In asking favors
How many times have been asked to do small things by strangers, and you feel glad to grant it just because they asked it so nicely?
"By a sweet tongue and kindness, you can drag an elephant with a hair."~ PERSIAN PROVERB
5. In Soothing Pain and Suffering
Kindness is compassionate. It feels for others. Acts of kindness makes pain more bearable. It can lessen suffering.
"One kind word can warm three winter months."
~ JAPANESE PROVERB
"Ninety per cent of all mental illness that comes before me could have been prevented, or cured by ordinary kindness."
~ DR. WILLIAM MCGRATH
6. In discussing and arguing
A discussion is not productive when each one is out to prove the other wrong. Kindness on the other hand makes us willing to see the truth in the other person's views.
"A gentleman is a man who can disagree without being disagreeable."~ AUTHOR UNKNOWN
7. In Conflict Resolution
Life is full of conflicts with people. Hostility merely worsens the situation. But kindness heals wounds. If someone is angry at you, show your thoughtfulness by a word or a deed. Few people will not soften by genuine kindness. Genuinely think of the welfare of the other person, and you will be surprised that you have gained a friend.
"The fine and noble way to destroy a foe, is not to kill him: withkindness you may so change him that he shall cease to be so: then he's slain." ~ ALEYN
IV Kindness and Inner Strength
Some people have the misimpression that to be kind is to be weak. But real kindness is not weakness. Only pretended kindness is weakness, Real kindness emanates from a virtue, which is love or compassion, while pretended kindness emanates from fear.
Real kindness therefore is not afraid to be firm or to say no, if such firmness or denial will be for the good of the other person. A parent who loves his child will be kind but firm in his discipline, while a parent who fears the loss of his child's affection may use pretended kindness to bribe the child.
"Nothing is as strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength."~ FRANCIS DE SALES
V. Kindness and Spirituality
Kindness being rooted in compassion, it is a quality that nurtures selflessness and a greater awareness of unity. These are the stepping stones to true spirituality.
"Life is short and we have not too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind!"
~ HENRI F. AMIEL
QUOTATIONS:
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. -- Aesop
A good deed is never lost.
He who sows courtesy, reaps friendship; he who plants kindness, gathers love; pleasure bestowed upon a grateful mind was never sterile, but generally gratitude begets reward.-- Basil
I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good work, therefore, any kindness, or any service I can render to any soul of man or animal, let me do it now! Let me not neglect or defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.-- Thomas Carlyle
Kindness is the kingpin of success in life; it is the prime factor inovercoming friction and making the human machinery run smoothly. --Andrew Chapman
What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness.
-- Jean Jacques Rousseau
It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there; never omitting an opportunity of doing a kindness; or speaking a true word; or making a friend.
-- John Ruskin
Kindness has more power than compulsion. -- Author Unknown
Whenever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness.-- Author Unknown
The best parts of a good man's life are his little, nameless,unremembered acts of kindness and love.-- William Wordsworth
Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking createsprofoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. -- Lao-tzu
Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is neverthrown away. -- Sir Arthur
Helps
To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue. . . . [They are] gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.
-- Confucius
Better be kind at home than burn incense in a far place. -- Mencius
Courtesy is the go-power behind all teamwork -- it works wonders.-- Author Unknown
What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness.
-- Jean Jacques Rousseau
Any good we can do, or any kindness that we can show to any fellow creature, let us do it now for we shall not pass this way again. Stephen Shellet
Whenever there is a human being there is an opportunity for kindness.-- Author Unknown
Copyright 1995. Permission to reprint is granted providedacknowledgment is made to:Peace Center Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines
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