Are you kind enough?
Hmmmm.
Often times when I ask this question of someone, they’ll immediately think of a time when they WEREN’T kind……to someone else…
That time they said something mean to a friend…
When they broke a promise…
Or, when they screamed at their partner…
I’ve found these typical responses from others to be interesting for a few reasons:
1. People tend to NOT think about the times that they WERE kind to others.
2. They rarely question whether or not they are kind enough with themselves.
If you read my newsletter from a few weeks ago, The things you don’t like about other people have nothing to do with them, you’ll recall that I encouraged you to look within yourself when you discover something you don’t like about someone else.
Remember?
If you didn’t read it, you can read it here.
The same rules apply when speaking of kindness – when you’re out of integrity towards someone, or being unkind, there’s a good chance that you’re being unkind with yourself, and projecting your feelings onto others.
If the definition of kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate, the question then becomes, are you friendly, generous, and considerate with yourself?…
….especially during those times when you feel that you’ve f’d something up, or should have done something differently.
The truth is that every experience you encounter is an opportunity for learning and growth, so rather than holding yourself in the wrong, practice kindness…..towards yourself.
Throughout the next week, keep track of those moments when something goes awry, or feels out of alignment, and how you respond to those situations.
Do you blame yourself? Do you have a nagging voice inside of you that won’t stop reminding you that you did something wrong? Do you feel the need to blame someone?
I know that this can sound like rudimentary stuff; however, it’s the simple principles that often get overlooked.
