Overwhelm this world with your kindess …
It used to think being called “nice” was the biggest compliment I could ever receive. It would put a smile on my face and in my heart to hear that from people. I was taught to do the right thing and say the right thing and, honestly, to put other people’s comfort and convenience first.
I used to think being called “nice” was the biggest compliment I could ever receive. It would put a smile on my face and in my heart to hear that from people. I was taught to do the right thing and say the right thing and, honestly, to put other people’s comfort and convenience first.
But I was challenged lately when someone suggested that maybe being considered “nice” wasn’t something to strive for; especially if it means sacrificing my beliefs or my values to prioritize someone else’s feelings, health and well-being over my own. Hmmmm, well that’s a different way of thinking about things!
What would happen if I chose being authentic, honest and kind over being “nice?” That “little bit of good” that Desmond Tutu writes about here, at least for me, means striving to be kind to myself, to this beautiful earth, and to people and critters. So maybe there will be times that I have to say or do things that other people may think is “not so nice” of me.
Is your “little bit of good” baking cookies for a lonely neighbor? Then do it. Is it buying shoes or a hat or a coat for someone in need? By all means do it. Is it pointing out injustice or challenging people’s outdated beliefs? If it’s tugging at your heart, then I think you must do it.
As we like to point out here at The Quiet Whisper, this is how we will change the world for the better: one small act of kindness at a time.