Kindness is close to my heart. I’d rather forgive and forget than hold grudges against others. We all grow and change and adapt to our surroundings, and this, unfortunately, is why some people are unkind. They don’t know any different.
Being kind may not always illicit the response I want or the aim I desire, but in accepting true kindness and letting things go (remember, most things don’t matter anyway) I can live in a way that affords me true peace.
I’m offered challenged on my belief that we should be kind to everyone and I stand firm. I still hold people accountable, and on even rare occasions I let unbridled passion get the best of me and I can come across as not very nice. My intention is never to cause harm to that person though. My intention is to get the best result for everyone, even the person on the receiving end of my passionate responses. (I’m not a swearer, so it’s not intimidation where that is concerned. If anything it’s intimidation based on facts and the gathering of opinion of my peers. I’m speaking my mind, it’s backed up).
Where does this come from?
Where has my obsession with passion come from? From childhood.
I was never the coolest kid. I was the scrawny twin to a confident sister, the youngest of very confident brother and sister. Cystic acne, terrible fluffy hair. Afraid of sports until I realised how beneficial it would be for me.
I was easy picking to be bullied. And I believed every word people told me. I held onto into tightly and it definitely stopped me from realising my own unique talents and attributes. People being unkind to me essentially wrote what my life would be like for the next 10-15 years. I’m still re-writing that history now!
Now, when I look at people around them I don’t just consider the presenting scenario, I try and look at their entire lives in a snapshot. And more importantly I think about my language and my demeanour when talking to them. What impact are my words going to have on this person in the short, medium and long term?
I do not wrap people in cotton wool. Even as a legal advisor I never saw my role as doing something for someone. I aim to empower and build people up to their true potential, regardless of their own perceived flaws.
We are all extraordinary, but it doesn’t take much for us to think differently and write ourselves out of our potential. This is why kindness is so important to me.
#Kindness is for life, not just for #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
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