FiroozehBowden

“Plato urged us to “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” I find it interesting that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá elevates acts of kindness to a duty as simply opposed to an optional “nice-to-do”. We often underestimate the impact such acts can have not only on individuals but, by extension, entire societies. Henry James wrote: “Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” Little wonder that the work of organizations such as the World Kindness Movement, Inspire Kindness and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation resonate with so many — and in recent years, given the current state of the world, these grassroots initiatives are more important than ever. For kindness to be truly effective it must be intentional and, on some level, habitual. According to Leo Tolstoy, “Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness.”

In some respects, kindness is all about suspending judgment of others. Steve Maraboli poses the question: “How would your life be different if … You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day … You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” Easier said than done oftentimes, but something to aspire towards. It turns out that being kind has a variety of scientifically proven benefits. It produces oxytocin (the ‘love hormone’), it boosts energy, it extends one’s lifespan, it stimulates your brain’s pleasure and reward centers giving you ‘helper’s high’ and it stimulates the production of feel-good serotonin.” Tolstoy concluded that “Kindness enriches our life; with kindness mysterious things become clear, difficult things become easy, and dull things become cheerful.”