In honor of this special day, I want to share a few thoughts.
Did you know that kindness is teachable? “It’s kind of like weight training, we found that people can actually build up their compassion ‘muscle’ and respond to others’ suffering with care and a desire to help.” Dr. Ritchie Davidson, University of Wisconsin Or that Kindness is contagious? "The positive effects of kindness are experienced in the brain of everyone who witnessed the act, improving their mood and making them significantly more likely to 'pay it forward.' This means one good deed in a crowded area can create a domino effect and improve the day of dozens of people!" Jamil Zaki, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University for Scientific American, July 26, 2016
If you didn't know, there is a resource on Random Acts of Kindness website, a series of monthly calendars with ideas. In Scouts, we say "Do a good turn daily" which has meant being intentional in my normal circumstances to look for ways to bless others. I really like the calendar idea because it helps remind me of all the other people who are on the unofficial "Kindness Team" who are out doing the same thing on the same day, even if we never meet. So if you want to know what I'm doing for the rest of the year, just download this calendar and join the fun paying it forward.