4 Practices of Kindness that Make You Glorious
Everything stops in our house with the first snow. My wife joyfully calls, “It’s snowing.” We gaze like children. Sometimes we stand close. Usually it spits and sputters, but if we’re lucky, the first snow might change the world.
Kindness is glorious like snow.
Shifts:
The biggest mistake about kindness is assuming it’s weakness. Any broken-down mule can kick and make a fuss.
If you think kindness is weakness, you should try being kind for a week.
When someone disrespects you, it’s not kind to play dead. Kindness doesn’t tolerate abuse or concede to the ugly side of a person.
It’s kind to say, “You can do better.”
It’s kind to say, “We don’t do that around here.”
Kindness is more than passive platitudes; it’s a call to rise. Doing our best always feels better than sleepwalking. Try being kind in ways that lead people to believe in themselves.
Kindness looks forward.
4 practices of kindness:
#1. Speak clearly.
Confusion and ambiguity persecute with anxiety and frustration. It’s not kind to use vagaries when the truth is painful.
Use kindness to muster courage to address tough issues, not anger.
#2. Support frequently.
Teams will attack hell with a squirt gun – when they feel supported. Every time you hang someone out to dry, they learn to pull back.
If you wonder how to support your team, ask them.
#3. Enjoy consistently.
How might you enjoy serious work?
- Don’t allow dread to dominate your language. If you’re worried, take positive action.
- Remember the big purpose when you feel choked by the weeds.
- Listen to music.
- Notice imperfect progress.
- Smile.
#4. Compliment repeatedly.
Our brains react to compliments like they are money. (Neuron)
Kindness is glorious because it lifts both giver and recipient.
Why is unkindness tempting?
How might you practice kindness today?
Bravo!
Kindness is the lost superpower anyone can exercise!
” use kindness, not anger” that’s golden.
Thanks Ken. Now it’s just putting it into practice.
I truly liked
The biggest mistake about kindness is assuming it’s weakness …”Kindness is not weakness!”
Thanks Jeff. Best wishes to you.
Wise words, Dan. Couple decades plus ago I was asked to take over a troubled organization. As I got to know the people and the situation I found it necessary to tell several people, “Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness.” Some got it. Some did not.
Thanks Alan. Sometimes kindness is walking close to the edge of being taken advantage of.
Indeed. And, it appeared that is how they perceived it — that I wasn’t serious, that they really didn’t have to change.
“Use kindness to muster courage to address tough issues” – this is glorious. Like the first snow. Thank you, Dan. I’ll carry this with me today in the midst of some very distasteful work. I hope to remember this next month, next year. Kindness does not retaliate. The Bible often links kindness with patience. I tend toward unkindness when I’m impatient.
Thanks Pete. To do distasteful work with kindness is glorious!
Why is unkindness tempting?
Unkindness can elicit an unkind response… a chain reaction of sorts.
We don’t always know what a person is going through that causes them to be unkind; we may respond with a ‘like’ reaction of unkindness ~♡~ or we may muster the ‘kill them with kindness’ response.
When I’ve been unkind, my body and soul react immediately with a knowledge that I had a choice to be kind. “I can do better next time”.
Thanks Melrose. The idea that unkindness harms the recipient and the giver is sobering to me. It’s useful to remember that our response make our lives.
I don’t know why it’s easier to kick the dog than pet it? I’ve started delivering flowers part time and I also have milkbones in the van! I’ve been making it a point to thank people for jobs well done. A well run meeting, snappy outfit, pigtails on a two year old who was just about to pitch a fit. Her mother smiled. Kindness is like snow or glitter. We need a little more in a lot more places. Interesting thing….it’s free! 😊
Proverbs 15:1 says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
I have learned that it pays to endeavor to speak kindly, ESPECIALLY in adversarial or contentious encounters. It doesn’t always work, but but works often enough to be a useful habit. It was especially useful to me in my role as a crisis negotiator for twenty years. One of my former bosses used to say, “It costs nothing to be kind, at least as an opening tactic.” It is always easier to “ratchet up” from kindness, if necessary, and almost impossible to back things down if initial harshness sets the stage.
Right on time, Thank you, I was recently promoted into a position that put me in charge of some of my former peers. My leadership style is different that our previous supervisor. I love to empower my team and encourage them to bring ideas to make things better. Initiating change is tough and the only way I can think of is to be kind. Kindness does impower people especially when you are addressing something that they are doing wrong or could be doing better.
Excellent and much needed advice.
Thank you so much Dane