Today is World Kindness Day, November 13, 2015

Funny that we need a day to remember to be kind. Much less a reminder to be kind to ourselves…

Blame, shame, and guilt all contribute to a type of global internal animosity that starts a war of pain internally and becomes expressed outwardly.

For today, let us do our best to suspend our internal judgements, our external judgements of what or how we think someone else should act or be, and how we should be to an external standard, and just accept where we are.

That can be more important than any outward act of demonstrated act of kindness as internal kindness will ultimately be reflected outwardly.

Here are a few mindful acts of kindness you can try:

  1. Pause and notice the sounds around you…the sounds of your co workers, the sound of traffic, the sound of birds, the sound of the wind…30 seconds can change your day.
  2. Make a sandwich or something nice…give it to yourself and share it with another
  3. Create an object of beauty for you and others, something as simple as taking a small pile of rocks and making a little cairn.
  4. Listen to a child.
  5. Hug a friend.
  6. Smile at people.
  7. Fill your heart with appreciation for the person in front of you
  8. Touch…give yourself a foot massage, offer someone a shoulder rub
  9. Look in the mirror and say, “I see you…I honor you…I love you.” act as that mirror to another.
  10. Feel the sun, the rain whatever the weather on your face and give thanks
  11. Hold the hand of a small child and revel in its smallness, vulnerability. You too are that.
  12. Pause and fill your heart with the memory of being deeply loved, radiate that in traffic
  13. Move your body joyfully, in the way it needs not in what you think. If it wants to be slow, go slow but move. if it wants to move fast, move fast but be gentle, keep the mind out.
  14. Pay attention to moments of silence, and let what is there just be without manipulating or trying to change it.
  15. Pray for someone in distress or for someone you have difficulty with…
  16. Choose equanimity today: put all reactions on hold, all requests on hold for your time, energy and attention to catch up. Even with children. Taking one moment even to take a breath and pause can shift everything.
  17. Choose tenderness…If you have pain, find those places in yourselves that do not have pain. Hold both places with tender regard
  18. Call a friend and tell them you love them. Not a text. Or a message on facebook. Give them a moment longer than 2 seconds.
  19. Donate to your favorite charity
  20. Offer to do something for someone that they usually do for you
  21. Tend to the plants and trees around you
  22. Tend to the animals and wildlife around you. Consider for one day not eating meat, and having gratitude for all creatures that contribute to life around you and help you to thrive.
  23. Share your toys.
  24. Take a moment to play with a child

What was your act of kindness today?