Jul 27, 20205 min read

kindness matters

hey, long time no see!

today i want to share some tips with you on how to be a kinder person. being kind to other people is a choice, and sometimes it's easy to fall into a pattern of selfishness. i believe that what goes around comes around, and if you do too, you may want to become a kinder person and receive good karma!

here's some simple ways to become a kinder person:

don't judge

before you even do anything, change your whole outlook. when you meet someone or interact with someone, don't make assumptions based on how they look or what you've heard about them, make your own opinion of them. and even if you think you know someone, there may be things happening in their life you don't know about. so don't be too critical or judgmental of people unless you know the whole story.

forgive and forget

kind people forgive. this means you accept someone's mistake and let it go. you can't hold grudges and be kind. you have to move on. life is way too short to stay mad.

practice random acts of kindness

this is a super fun and creative way to be kind. random acts of kindness are generally easy and can be really uplifting and special because they come out of nowhere. you can change someone's whole day! here's some ideas:

give up your seat on the bus to another person
pick up litter on the beach or on the side of the road
let someone go in front of you in line
buy flowers to hand out on the street
hold open the doors for people
offer to give a friend a ride home
take the time to listen to someone
donate your old clothes
help a senior with their groceries
buy an ice cream cone for a child
bring in donuts for your co-workers
help a child or older person cross the street
water a neighbor’s lawn/flowers
give someone a gift card that you don’t intend to use
spend time with your grandparents
pay for someone’s morning coffee

be polite

naturally, being polite goes hand in hand with kindness. i find that people that are kind are just naturally polite. they go together.

lend a helping hand

everyone has struggles. whether it's making friends, taking care of their children, or working in their yard. if you see someone who needs assistance - like your elderly neighbour needs groceries or your classmate tripped in the hallway - just help them out. it won't take long and will be so appreciated.

don't complain about your problems too much

one way to be kind is to avoid making things all about yourself. as an exemple, if someone is sharing how they have a bad family relationship, certainly share your own experience and empathize with them, but don't turn the discussion into a conversation about your own family issues. focus outwards instead of inwards and you'll find your own problems will feel less significant.

compliment people

one super easy way to be kind is to compliment others. you know it feels awesome when someone gives you a great compliment out of the blue. like when you put a lot of effort into your outfit or you've been working out a ton or you do well on a test and someone notices. go around giving compliments to people, they don't just make others feel great! they also enhance our own self-confidence. giving a genuine compliment requires us to look for the good in others. in doing so, we also start to see the good in ourselves. we realize that we are all on the same journey together and that each of us has value to share with the world.

be grateful for what you have

another way to be kind? appreciate what you have within you and around you. this is important not just for being kind but for being happier, confident, and a good person. when you're grateful for what you have, you are willing to give more to others and help them out.

take care of the planet

of course, you should be kind to the planet as well. plant trees, work in your town or city's community garden, start a garden, buy organic, pick up trash - the options are endless.

learn from your mistakes

i often mistake kindness with perfection. i often look at the kindest people i know and find that they seem perfect, and i strive for this - but i fail and mess up eventually. i get in a fight with a friend or a family member, i say something stupid or mean - in other words, i still get angry, mean, and irritated for time to time. and that's okay. i'm human. learn from your mistakes and keep trying to be kind.

spend time with others

one of the five love languages is quality time. it always is meaningful when someone goes out of their way to stop and say hello or make space in their busy schedule for you. doing this is meaningful and usually better than buying gifts for others because it's costless and doesn't make them feel like they owe you anything.

don't bring others down

instead of criticizing, be willing to accept that nobody's perfect. putting others down won't make you rise any higher!

see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil

this proverb means to turn a blind eye to wrong. in other words, if someone is trying to provoke or offend you, you should ignore it and just turn around and walk away. know your worth darling!

take the high road

ignore or overlook when others deliberately (or unwittingly) try to take you down. chances are, they don't mean to hurt you and just aren't thinking. and if they are trying to be malicious, consider that they might be jealous (which is sort of a compliment if you think about it) or they're going through something difficult. it'll make you more understanding and sympathetic. plus, you're more mature that way!

share with others

you need to give and sacrifice a little to be kind. there are a lot of selfish people in this world that only care for themselves (keep in mind that self care is not selfish). when you give a little bit of yourself - your time, money, pride - away, you share with others and are a kind person.

be humble

don't brag. don't try to raise yourself up and appear better - more beautiful, more intelligent, more talented. you shouldn't have to do this to be kind. kind people are humble.

be optimistic and friendly

people that are positive, cheerful, and bright come across as kind. if you need help being happy and positive, go check out my articles on the subject. this will make you approachable and help you come across as a kind person. of course, you don't need to be an extrovert or sociable - but you should be accessible.