It does not take much to be kind.You only need to be aware of your surroundings and be attentive of what a person near you is going through.Just a smile or a hello is enough sometimes,to break the ice or brighten someone's day.Open the door if he has his hands full,help him carry a heavy burden,thank the delivery boy,offer your seat to a feeble person standing near you or allow him to jump the queue if need be.These are very small gestures but they leave a deep impact.I,at least,fondly remember those who were kind to me.
If the kindness bug has bitten you,you can start by giving out things which you no longer need,like your shoes,apparel,old gadgets,utensils,ill-assorted crockery,books and whatever you can think of.You will make life so much easier and more comfortable for someone by doing this.
Even more important than this is,helping someone who is emotionally disturbed.Suppose you see someone deep in thought,obviously depressed,fighting a lone battle to keep his head above the waters;do not walk away,afraid of intruding.Begin with a simple query about his well-being.It will assure him that he is not alone,you care for him and he can share his problem with you.
We often hold back because this kind of a situation is awkward for both the parties.A person who wants help may hesitate to claim your time and attention even if he does trust you,while you yourself might be afraid of breaching his privacy if you butt in.At such times the other person's expressions and body language can help you decide.
If even that is not indication enough,you can start with a cursory exchange which will reveal if he is uptight or opens up.Go ahead even if you are in doubt because it is better to be considered officious rather than callous.When someone is in a quandary an outsider is often better able to gauge the situation and think up a solution.Your initiative could be a life saver for him.So it is better to engage with him instead of walking away.Such interventions can even stave suicides.
It is not the recipient alone who benefits from kind acts.You the doer too,will be rewarded in countless ways.There is an immediate rush of joy and satisfaction at having done a good deed when you help someone.It increases your self worth and reduces anxiety.The warmth of that memory will come back to cheer you up many a times.
Kindness is infectious.Even the recipient of a kind act is empowered to return this good deed when opportunity arises.The onlookers also feel happy to see altruistic behavior in this self obsessed world and may be inspired to behave similarly when they see someone in trouble.In this way you help to make this world a better place by one simple act.There is a surfeit of selfishness in the air today,you can add a lot of warmth and empathy to it.
A curious question:How many kind persons have you met so far?
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Very true!
ReplyDeleteKindness is very essential but is seldom considered essential in this self - centered life style of today's human being.
ReplyDeleteEverybody is so busy,perhaps time is the constraint.
DeleteBut, Indu, time can't curb an emotion! We are simply losing the 'ability' to be kind! :(
DeleteThank you Kokila,you have a point there.
DeleteYes. It's a feeling becoming obsolete! The only kindness I have observed lately is in sharing and liking a post where a street urchin is smiling or something like that! Sad. :/
ReplyDeletePeople are kind on social sites-though they can be rude too-but in actual life?It is rare.
DeleteA couple of kind of people I crossed the path with and sometimes they were complete strangers offering a helping hand. Sometimes, small things tend to escape us and we don't realize much but a small gesture can lead to so many things. It often happens with me that I try not to intrude in someone's privacy who is thinking about things. Next time, I will try to drop a Hi and say hope you are ok. Thanks for sharing this post, Indu!
ReplyDeleteYes Vishal small things can brighten the day.Like when I go to a mall a rare salesgirl will tell me to not lift heavy items from my cart and she does it for me.But not many salespersons do this.I remember this incident to this day.
DeleteYes, i agree with your vies and suggestions, now-a-days its being rare but fortunately i have some people around me who are not only helpful rather sometime very kind not only to me rather to other ones.
ReplyDeleteGood for you Jyotirmoy!
Deletei have met couple of them, at the time of crisis. act of Kindness is an important, as it makes us - feel good.
ReplyDeleteActually acts of kindness secrets endorphins , a hormone also known as happy harmon.
You are right Rekha,kindness is positively uplifting.
DeleteVery nice post. I agree we hesitate to make eye contact, smile, extend a helping hand or even say hello. In this fast paced life and charged atmosphere one is not sure how the other person may react or how genuine is the recipient. But there is no doubt an act of kindness makes one feel good, even probably more than the recipient.
ReplyDeleteYou have mentioned very valid reasons for us being reticent these days.May be it is the duplicity we see around us which forces us to think twice before offering help to anyone.
DeleteThank you Abhijit :)