Kindness Consciousness
After reading my book, a friend wrote me a beautiful handwritten note and said I had raised her “kindness consciousness.” I love that phrase. I looked up the definition of consciousness and it means “the state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings.” What if we all tried to raise our kindness consciousness and set out each day with a willingness and an openness to be kind for no reason. When we become “aware of and responsive” to our surroundings, I promise you, there will be countless opportunities presented to you each day to practice kindness for no reason other than you can…and, it feels nourishing and energizing.
Take a deep breath and do a checklist of your “kindness consciousness.” Start with asking are you being kind to yourself first? I’m asking you to consider raising your own personal kindness consciousness. You deserve kindness too. It’s time for you to cut yourself some slack. From there, it becomes easier to be kind to others. I believe that every one of us has the potential for a high “KC.” Most of the time it’s just unused or out of practice. That’s all. It takes a little work with the potential for huge rewards.
Another reader posted this example of self-kindness on my website: “After listening to Tracey's interview with Senator Bill Bradley on SiriusXM, I was so inspired that I immediately ordered her book. Before finishing the book, I decided to write my letters of a few kind words. To date, I have written 48. The process has been transformative for me. I have been surprised by how easy it is to acquire addresses if you are willing to put in a little effort, and the rewards have been enormous. Many people have responded- some have not. Still, regardless, the power of penning gratitude and appreciation to another human being is an act of self-kindness that I had not expected. What a wonderful surprise!”
My neighbor was moving and had a garage sale. One of my friends stopped by the sale on a walk. She wanted to buy a bookcase, but she didn’t have any money with her. My neighbor agreed to hold it for her. After she left, another shopper said he wanted to pay for the bookcase and surprise my friend when she came back and found it paid for. When my neighbor asked why he was doing that, he said “because it feels good.”
Last week at one of my book talks, a similar thing happened. A woman wanted to buy a book and didn’t have Venmo. Without missing a beat, the woman on line behind her said “I am going to buy the book for you.” I asked if they knew each other, and they both said “no”. The kind woman purchasing the book said, “I’m happy to do it because I can.” They ended up taking a selfie together and engaging in a long conversation.
We don’t need to spend money to practice kindness. These were just examples of what I recently experienced. When you linger, listen, engage, observe and become aware of your surroundings, you will be raising your kindness consciousness and finding unlimited ways to connect. What an incredibly empowering way to engage with humanity. It’s a choice we all get to make every morning when the sun comes through the blinds and announces a new day.
