👥Kindness is something that so often gets overlooked in our modern world - we strive to be successful, smart, creative, wealthy, adventurous... But without kindness life really is meaningless
👥Kindness includes being kind to yourself, others, and the environment /other living beings
👥One of my biggest goals in parenting, is to raise kind compassionate children - I have two young boys, and sadly kindness is not something often promoted or talked about as a goal for men - yet if it were, we would have so much more happiness and peace in the world
👥If you are kind, you:
- do not start fights/wars
- do not deliberately hurt others through words or actions
- do not take advantage of others
- do not put yourself ahead of everyone else at their expense
- do not abuse your power
- do not ignore the suffering of others
- automatically become connected with others, which is one of the key facets of health and wellbeing
👥Yet kindness cannot be forced - it can only be given freely, and children learn from example far more than words. It is also given unconditionally
👥If we model kindness and put it above all else, people treasure it.
👥Children are naturally kind, yet they learn to mask this, or suppress it. They will copy what they see - whether this is kindness, or cruelty
👥Kindness also has many health benefits. It:
-releases oxytocin (the 'love hormone')
-oxytocin improves self esteem, and empathy, reduces blood pressure, and actually protects the heart
- reduces stress levels (reduces cortisol)
-improves mood (releases serotonin)
-reduces pain (releases endorphins)
-makes you happier (via endorphins)
-even makes you live longer!! (oxytcontin slows aging)
👥The kindness gene is one of the oldest genes in our dna - which shows how important it has been for human survival
👥It's also highly contagious - studies have shown it has an R value of 4-5 - meaning each time you are kind to someone, that person will be kind to a further 4-5 people. The R value of covid is around 2-3 in comparison 😉
👥Kindness is literally the antidote to stress and unhappiness in the modern world 💙