“the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate”
What the world needs now…more than ever…is kindness. And it needs to begin with showing it to ourselves. I know this has been said by a gazillion people and yet it still warrants repeating…
Would we treat other people the way we treat ourselves?
Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule but for the most part we tend to show very little if any kindness to ourselves. For me, I find myself still holding on to old shit that was said to me in an unkind way…believing it to be true…and now perpetuating in my own mind and in my behavior.
That being said, it got me thinking about why those people said unkind things to me in the first place. I’m realizing now that on some level they were hurting inside, that they were dealing with the unkindnesses that were dealt to them. This doesn’t let the off the hook so much as to say that it helps me understand it better.
Which now leads me to look at my behavior and my acts of unkindness that I project onto others. For instance years ago while visiting a small town in Ireland, I wanted to check out this old ruins site that’s not on any tourist map. In order to get in I had to go to the local pub to ask for the local patron who had the key. I wound up having the site to myself. Then I noticed a young woman who wanted to come in.
Because I wanted to be alone, not deal with other people, and just enjoy the peace and quiet of the place by myself, I pretended to not see or hear her. I was far enough away that it was plausible that I “couldn’t see or hear her”.
It was a mean thing for me to do…and I knew it then and I still know it today. I’ve been carrying this guilt with me for over 25 years. Which come to think of it is an interesting observation…thinking back on my memories of being kind leave me feeling uplifted and light…while my unkind memories leave me feeling guilty and heavy.
Then this sentence popped into my head: Kindness is its own reward.
How about you? Is kindness a core value for you?
btw…here’s what it looked like before:
joyfully,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
inspiring and encouraging creativity, curiosity, and play through the art of mandalas
About the 2024 Mandalas of the Day
Each day I will create and post a mandala inspired by one of 366 “value” words chosen randomly. The objective being to discover for myself which ones would best represent my core values…and by doing so, I hope it inspires you to determine your own.
Mandala of the Day 