World Kindness Day

Kindness, huh. What a concept. And to think we need to have a DAY to remind ourselves about kindness is a little sad.

Look, I totally get that writing an article on kindness on World Kindness Day is in the same atmosphere as showing someone you love them on Valentine’s Day (as if you didn’t love them the other 364 days of the year).

World Kindness Day was started as a reminder and inspiration to spread kindness. It’s not like I expect you to be EXTRA kind to me today.

I expect you to be kind to people EVERY DAY.

But sometimes, we need a REMINDER. (And also, World Kindness Day is always November 13th, which is also my birthday, so YAY!)

What is kindness?

For me, it’s about compassion and care. No matter what the situation is.

If you have to give an employee some critical feedback today, it’s not like you’re going to push it off to another day because it’s World Kindness Day. Be mindful in your approach that you can still be kind and compassionate when you share difficult information.

Now, what is kindness NOT?

Kindness is absolutely not being “comfortable”. I’m still going to treat you like an adult and give it to you straight. And how I share my thoughts are going to be coming from a place of compassion and learning and growth.

Kindness definitely isn’t putting on a face and smiling. Kindness needs to be genuine. If I’m not happy about something, that doesn’t mean I am unkind to my co-workers, friends, or family.

And finally,

Be kind to yourself. 2020 has been a rough year for many of us. And we’re tired. We’re stressed. We’re sad that we can’t be with our friends and family. So be kind to yourself and give yourself space to heal and recharge.

When we Lead People First, kindness is engrained into our actions. We are dealing with people, human beings, living creatures. So be kind, and be an inspiration to others.