Kindness starts with you

WHAT CAN I DO? The answer to this common question starts with recognizing that you already have the Power of Kindness. You are already on your Kindness Path. You have already begun to answer a Kindness Call to Action. You are already helping to Create a Kinder World.

While there will be many different steps along anyone's Kindness Path, here's a simple way to think about Traveling Your Kindness Path. The first steps (Self-Kindness, Acts of Kindness for Others, and Creating Kindness Communities) are for the recipient's direct benefit. This is how most people think of Kindness and is what most people do. This is often called Retail Kindness.

The other Kindness Steps (Teaching Kindness, Spreading Kindness Forward, and Leading Kindness Projects) are called Wholesale Kindness. In other words, Retail Kindness directly Benefits People. In contrast, Wholesale Kindness is directed towards Kindness Institutions or Activities.

There are many other Kindness Steps along any Kindness Path, and groups, organizations, companies, and people can also promote and practice Kindness. Besides more Retail Kindness, the world also needs more Wholesale Kindness. Companies can sponsor and encourage employees to engage in Kindness Projects and promote their results. Groups and organizations, and even young people not in school, can help teachers and families Teach Kindness. Imagine if more groups, communities, and companies engaged in and shared their stories of, Different Kinds of Kindness activities, projects, and steps. You will inspire others and increase the amount of Kindness in the world.

Your Kindness Path Never Ends. It is a Lifetime Experience, and you are part of a Global Kindness Movement. So, first, read more Your Kindness Roadmap, an animated mini-book. Then, explore some of the Kinds of Kindness in the following tabs. Remember, Kindness Matters Now.

ANSWER THE KINDNESS CALL TO ACTION

BEING KIND TO YOURSELF

Understanding Self-Kindness and Being Kind to Yourself are essential to Following Your Kindness Path throughout your life.

But what does Being Kind to yourself mean exactly? It means treating yourself with love and compassion. We can all be our own worst critics. Extending Kindness and understanding towards yourself, especially when you have experienced tragedy, failure, or a stressful season in life, is the essence of Self-Kindness.

Self-Kindness begins with humility because knowing, accepting, and being yourself helps you treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Knowing yourself means knowing your unique personality, talents, values, special gifts, and dreams. Accepting yourself means that you value every part of yourself unconditionally, that you forgive yourself often, and that you do not compare yourself to others. Self-acceptance increases your happiness and helps you feel grounded and emotionally stable. Being yourself means realizing that you are unique and valuable, and your purpose in the world is to love and be Kind to others.

Be a Better Version of Yourself

Being Kind to Yourself takes practice. It is a daily commitment you make with yourself. Ultimately, your Kindness Path leads you towards becoming a better version of yourself. Give yourself the Kindness you would like to receive from others and enjoy the journey of knowing, accepting, and being you!

Be Kind to yourself today
You are worth it
So that you can be Kinder to others
You are valuable
You can enrich, empower, and encourage others
You are enough
You can make a difference with Kindness

The Character of KindNESS

A person traveling on a Kindness Path does more than just Do Acts of Kindness for Others. They also Embody Kindness in all their actions and relations with others. To be Kind is to be passionate and compassionate and intentional and thoughtful.

Even if Kindness is part of your very nature, when you consider being Kind, you will also be doing something that will take your time, resources, or energy. Ask yourself:

Whom can I encourage?

Whom can I help?

Whom can I thank?

What can I give?

What can I share?

How can I expand my Kindness?

Forgive

Listen with empathy

Love unconditionally

Give compliments generously

Overlook faults and mistakes

Be patient and gracious

Accept imperfections

Encourage

Uplift

Being Kind Matters and Makes a Big Difference in a Person's Life.

Kindness CommunitieS

In addition to Being Kind to Yourself and Doing Acts of Kindness Directly for Others, you can also significantly increase the amount of Kindness in the world by Creating Kindness Communities. Whether they are called Kindness Groups, Kindness Teams, Kindness Projects, or whatever else, Kindness Communities work together toward a common goal of Providing Kindness to Others.

As you move further along your Kindness Path, you realize that you are no longer traveling alone. While you are still trying to benefit others directly (as opposed to further Kindness Steps in which you will be helping others indirectly), you are also working towards Common Kindness Goals. You are developing Kindness Partners. Now, you are creating Kindness Multiplier Effects and achieving a Scale of Kindness that you could not accomplish alone.

The possibilities are endless. Your neighbors, friends, colleagues, classmates, young students, or any other group can adopt a particular Kindness Project or Group of Kindness Recipients. Whether it's a simple idea (like raising money, providing food, etc.) or a complex, coordinated endeavor (like retired medical professionals providing needed medical care), working with others to Create a Kindness Community can be beneficial to the recipients and rewarding to the providers. Now, you are genuinely Making a Kinder World.

learning more about Kindness

Everyone can Be Kind and Teach others, young and old, about Kindness. In addition to discussing specific Acts of Kindness, there are Kindness Cards and Kindness Certificates in the  Kindness Resources tab that you can use to stimulate, discuss, and recognize Kindness Activities.

DISCUSSING KINDNESS. Talking about Kindness is one of the most important things you can do, no matter your purpose and to whom you are speaking. You can Teach Kindness to young people, for example, by encouraging them to talk with their parents, grandparents, or teachers about their Acts of Kindness. The Kindness Cards are easy to use for these and countless other purposes. In addition, anybody can invent a Kindness Challenge using the Kindness Cards.

APPRECIATING KINDNESS. Use the Kindness Certificates to encourage, recognize, and reward Kindness. Teachers, parents, grandparents, and friends can give or send them to children, students, or other friends. Groups, colleagues, organizations, and companies can use them to recognize or publicize their Commitment to Kindness. Anyone can post them on social media.

Enter the recipient's name by hand after printing or insert the name directly into an electronic copy on your computer with the appropriate software. Use the blank line for a date, teacher, school, or organization.

Obtain Kindness Certificates at the Kindness Resources tab. There are JPG images and PDF document versions. Download, print, copy, or post either version. All Kindness Certificates look the same; only the title is different.

CREATING KINDNESS CONVERSATIONS

In addition to Doing Acts of Kindness, we must all Spread Kindness Forward. Among other possibilities, we can use today's social messaging tools to expand the Global Kindness Movement. You may never know how a particular Kindness Ripple will travel through the sea of communications to affect other people's lives, but if you have changed one person's life, then you will have succeeded, and you will have changed the world.

Messages - What do you want to say that will encourage others to Spread Kindness? What will inspire others? What will engage others? Will you suggest they share Kindness Challenges, Kindness Stories, or Kindness Ideas? Explore the Ideas tab.

Methods - How will you reach people? What tools will you use? Traditional media or online social media, calling or emailing people, posting images or contacting others, and so on. Will you create or share simple posts or complex videos, documents or blogs, and so on?

Audiences - Which group or groups of people will you target? How will you select them? Will they be people like your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, or your teachers, classmates, or students? Or, will you try to reach people online whom you may or may not know personally?

Or, you can try them all.

There is no perfect way.

Just try.

Finding Your Purpose

As your Kindness Path takes you from Retail Kindness (directly benefiting individuals) to Wholesale Kindness (increasing the people and institutions that enable more Kindness), you are becoming a Kindness Leader.

You are giving others the ability to shine their own Light of Kindness in their communities and around the world. You are supporting the Institutions of Kindness that will benefit others. And, you are empowering others by helping them recognize that they, too, can be Kindness Leaders.

When you Lead Kindness, you create a path for others to follow. You set an example by offering assistance, advice, and ideas. You help others to find the resources that they can use to Teach, Spread, and Lead Kindness.

Being Kind, Doing Kindness, and Creating Kindness Communities are important. Teaching, Spreading, and Leading Kindness all become Your Purpose. Kindness Leaders become great because of their ability to empower others. Helping others to find their Purpose in Kindness is a rewarding life experience. When you share ways to give others hope, encouragement, and inspiration, you are a Kindness Leader.

Spread The Kindness Spirit

What is Kindness?

Kindness is Not Just an Act
Kindness is an Attitude
Kindness is Who You Are

Kindness is Not Just a Place
Kindness is a Path
Kindness is Your Purpose

Your Kindness Path Never Ends
Your Kindness Purpose Never Ends
Never, Ever, Give Up

How YOU Can Use Kindness

To Make a KINDer World

Find Kindness Within Yourself
Do Kindness for Others
Spread Kindness to Others

Set Kindness in Motion
Keep Kindness Moving
Share Kindness Forward

Ask Not What Others Can Do for You

Ask What Kindness You Can Do for Others

Give the Gift of Kindness Every Day
You Will Enrich Others and Ennoble Yourself

You Will Never Run Out of Kindness
You Have an Infinite Supply

Let Kindness Ignite a Fire Within You
Inspire Others with Your Kindness Passion

All We Are Saying is Give Kindness a Chance

ANSWER THE KINDNESS CALL TO ACTION