Kind People are My Kind of People!
by Michael S. Tyrrell
November 17, 2020
Greetings Wholetonians!
Hope this Tuesday Musing finds you all well.
Today I want to talk to you a little bit about kindness…
Not long ago, I gave someone a sincere compliment and the response was, “Oh, you’re too kind.”
Not really. I don’t think we can really be too kind. Honestly, I don’t think we’re often kind enough.
There is so much unkindness running rampant these days, that whenever someone does something kind, it’s refreshing and unusual.
Just today, we were in line at the grocery store, and in the line next to us, a young woman had her arms FULL of items. She obviously went in for only one or two things (yeah right) so she didn’t think she’d need a basket. Now, she was using her chin, arms, and hips trying to balance all the items she was carrying; by now she was probably regretting her decision not to get one. She was having a heck of a time and I knew she was going to be waiting in line for a while. As I glanced over in the other direction, I noticed an empty basket tucked under a closed register. I walked over to get it and handed it to the young lady telling her, “Looks like you could use this!”
You would have thought I handed her a $100 dollar bill! Her eyes lit up (I couldn’t see her smile for the mask), and she must have said “thank you so much” at least three or four times. It didn’t cost me a thing to do that, but it sure meant a lot to her.
When Kindness is Uncommon
Often, it’s not that people are actually trying to be unkind, it’s just that they’re not thinking outside of themselves. We’re all guilty of that. Actually, our human nature unchecked is basically selfish and unkind at its core. That’s why children need to be TAUGHT to share their toys, to “play nice” with other children, and not to have temper tantrums when they don’t get their way.
Other times we’re just too distracted to purposely think of others.
How many times have you had a lot of things going through your mind as you’re walking out of a store, or doctor’s office and you let the door swing shut behind you, not realizing until it was too late that there was someone right behind you that you could’ve held it open for?
If being kind came naturally to us and without thought, we wouldn’t need to be reminded, which is why this quote by Dalai Lama is so popular:
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
The Bible also reminds us to be kind:
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;” – Romans 12:10
And much like the studies done on gratitude that we discussed a couple of weeks back, kindness not only positively affects the recipient of it, but it actually has health benefits for us when we engage in it.
According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, when we express kindness to another person, it releases a hormone called oxytocin that helps modulate our mood and emotions. The following is an excerpt from the article:
“Food for thought: Reportedly, one person in Winnipeg, Manitoba, picked up the tab for the next car in line at a coffee-and-sandwich drive-through. This inspired the next person to do the same. The chain continued for an astounding 226 customers!
Seems like research supports the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The kinder you act toward others, the better you will feel.”
So, are you feeling inspired yet to go out and perform a random act of kindness?
How about just speaking a kind word of encouragement or finding something you can sincerely compliment someone for? You’ll be glad you did, and so will they.
Until next time…
Be Whole,
Michael S. Tyrrell
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