Aristotle in his work Rhetoric, Book II, Chapter 7, defined kindness as “helpfulness towards someone in need, not in return for anything, nor for the advantage of the helper himself, but for that of the person helped.” To put it simply, kindness is the selfless act of being and doing good to another person.
We have heard of unconditional love. How many of us have ever considered unconditional kindness?
Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
Desmond Tutu
I was amazed by the simple concept of Random Acts of Kindness when I first stumbled upon it. I call it RAK. Clearly, acts of kindness need not be planned or fall into an ordered list.. Just random is accepted. I love that. Developing your acts of kindness will reward your relationships and in turn can inspire an entire community. ~ John
It’s important to recognize this in other’s and to imbibe this quality in ourselves. We have the greatest mentor, Jesus Christ. He showed us in his time on earth, that kindness is possible and it is unconditional.
In our relationships, let us be intentionally kind to one another. Granted, that when the recipient of kindness has been cruel or nasty towards us, being kind is the furthest thought in your mind. What some of us do is that we often retaliate immediately. However let us try something else. Let us intentionally be kind not expecting the behaviour to be reciprocated.
No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Theodore Roosevelt
Very well said! Kindness can really build a relationship. It builds trust. Love blossoms under kindness. Kindness inspires compassion. It encourages sensitivity. It motivates. It can revitalize your relationshipship. It can inspire acceptance. It can strengthen your relationship.
I can tell you that kindness doesn’t have to be in the big deeds but the littlest and most thoughtful gestures. John shows me kindness every single day. It is evident in his thoughtfulness and in his words and in his actions. And he doesn’t expect anything in return. His kindness inspires me to love and respect him more and more every day. ~ Rachel
All these things can work in any relationship whether it is your friend, family, partner, or spouse.
Kindness doesn’t cost you anything. It makes our world a better place. Be loving. Be kind.
Photo by Andrew Thornebrooke on Unsplash