Cobbled together are excerpts from my morning’s contemplative reading:
“Have you ever wondered why kindness matters in a time where positivity often takes a backseat to the negativity we hear on a daily basis?”
“It’s easy to recognize the opposite of kindness. It can be in the form of cruelty, directed outward, such as harsh actions and speech. It can be directed inward when we forget to practice self-care.”
“Kindness matters because we are together in this thing we call life. And for every single one of us, it is difficult. Our journeys might not be the same; in fact, they might be quite different. But one of the things that makes us all the same is—we all struggle, face hardships, endure challenges, obstacles, and difficulties. We share this common bond in triumphing through these pains. Life is hard enough as it is.We should make it easier on one another by being kind. And in our kindness, we can inspire kindness in others, making life just a little better, one smile, one hug, one silent prayer at a time.”
“Kindness matters because we are human. We are made for connection and community. We are hard-wired for kindness, but it has to be cultivated. You can’t pull it off the shelf. It comes over time.”
“Unexpected kindness is the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agent of human change.”
“Kindness is a time-honored practice for opening the heart. It comes with grace, asking nothing, requires nothing, and leaves it’s indelible mark.”
Taken from the Lion’s Roar magazine. A nonsectarian view of “Buddhism, Culture, Meditation, and Life”
♥♥♥
There are no set of rules to kindness, except to let it float to the top of your awareness. Let kindness shape your day, your week, your month, your year, and your life. It can change everything!
This prayer can be rephrased: May all beings be at peace. May all hearts remain open…