KINDNESS FOR SELF, FOR EACHOTHER

AND FOR ENVIRONMENT

October 4, 2021

“Acts of kindness brings a ray of positive hope in everybody’s life.”

Kindness is a feature which everybody doesn’t possess, it is a quality to be
good and behave well with all the living beings. Kindness comes from the inner
will of a person and he doesn’t need to be guided or instructed as what he wants
to do and what he has to do with others. Kindness tells us that we should love
every living being and don’t become an image of hatred for them.
Kindness is taught in every religious faith. Be it Hinduism, Sikhism, or
Islamic law or some other religion, they all prepare us to show compassion
towards others. The term is not limited to human application. Cruelty to all
living creatures is a sin in many religious scriptures. Even the deaf animals
raise their tail as a reciprocal response of compassion expressed towards them.
Trees show similar reactions. They grow large and produce fruit in response
to the kind behavior of their caregivers. Nature has its way of communicating
appreciation and compassion.
In this fast pace world, kindness and compassion takes a back seat to selfies,
self-interest and expendable human interactions. Every person is waiting to be
discovered or become rich, believing it holds the key to their happiness. Yet
when they attain success, they long for their former life having underestimated
the trappings of fame and celebrity.
Human beings are the only creatures who can make themselves miserable.
Other animals certainly suffer when they experience negative events, but only
humans can induce negative emotions through self-views, judgments, expecta-
tions, regrets and comparisons with others. Because self-thought plays such a
central role in human happiness and wellbeing.
It is rightly said, “You will never have a completely bad day if you show
kindness at least once”. Being kind and compassionate towards others brings
immense joy. The joy of giving is much greater than that of receiving. Kindness
gets us closer to God and renders inner peace.
While we must indulge in acts of kindness selflessly without expecting any-
thing in return, however it is said that no act of kindness, even the smallest
one, goes unnoticed. This is because God is watching us at all times. And he
is known for being fair in his ways.
Being kind in general by being polite with others keeps us in a good mood
as compared to the times when we get into arguments, or judge others or raise
our voice. Similarly, offering even a small help to someone makes us feel good
about ourselves. Helping others and being kind to them gives us an immediate

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sense of satisfaction. And whatever we give comes back to us in abundance.
This is also known as the law of Karma.
However, if we show kindness to others hoping that we will get something
in return then it is not considered an act of kindness. It is rather an act of
selfishness.
Not just with human beings, we must also be kind towards animals. Many
people throw stones at the street dogs and cows to scare them away. It is alright
if done as an act of self dense however many people do it just for fun. We must
rather be kind towards them. Treating the animals appropriately and feeding
them are two of the ways to show kindness towards them. We waste a lot of
food ever now. We throw our leftover food in the dustbin. Instead of throwing it
away like that, we must take out some time to feed cats, dogs and cows roaming
around near our house with it. We can also show kindness towards them by
adopting them. Likewise, we can feed the birds by hanging bird feeders in our
lawn or balcony. These small and random acts of kindness will not only do good
to these birds and animals but will also make you feel better about yourself.
Kindness has a lot of benefits which includes increased happiness and a
healthy heart. It slows down the ageing process and also enhances relationships
and connections, which will indirectly boost your health. Therefore it is essential
for all of us to understand the value of kindness. Always remember, it does not
cost anything to be kind. It may be a little compliment or it can be a grand
gesture, no matter how big or small, kindness always matters. Therefore, try
your best to be kind to everyone around you.
Practicing kindness is not difficult. Showering kindness on those around us
should be the ultimate goal of each one of us. Try it and see how it can be one
of the most joyful experiences in life.
Can you recall a time somebody was kind to you? Now change the scenario
and think of a time you were kind to another person? Call to mind their reaction
and how you responded. Move into your heart and notice the feelings there.