KINDNESS IS MEDICINE
Remind yourself Kindness is Medicine!
Awhile back, I had such an urge to have a T-Shirt made that said KINDNESS IS MEDICINE – it just felt so true that I wanted to wear it daily to remind myself of the power of kindness to make a difference to myself and others.
Can you be Kind to Yourself?
Over the years I have not been all that kind to myself. In an effort to achieve, I did push myself. And then as a bit of compensation for the pushing and efforting – I’d indulged in a want or desire – a reward: new clothes, chocolate… which I thought was kindness to myself. But this, at its core was not kindness – it was more of a “balm” to my ego for what I considered a sacrifice for what did not seem like I had a choice about. But this is old thinking.
Kindness Originates in Your Heart
For me kindness originates in the heart. It has a love quality and a gentle quality that just feels different than doing “a kind thing” to appease the ego of guilt, shame or worry or to ingratiate ourselves to another.
When I feel kindness bubble up from my heart (actually in my heart center) it is like medicine – a balm of calm or grace that can permeate my whole being. It can be something as simple as, “hey don’t worry about not getting to that project last week, we can work around it” to “hey buddy, don’t worry, we will find your lost stuffed animal”.
And in the two cases above, the difference is not so much in what I say but how I feel as I say it… I can feel annoyed or genuinely radiating kindness.
Try “Hey Buddy”…
One of my collogues, who is a baseball coach, says “hey buddy” to his players when they are trying but not succeeding. And I can feel the love radiate out of his heart when we does. That is a coach kindness – and it can be a balm to that young developing player.
Kindness is a medicinal balm
So, what I am getting at is, when we can radiate a love energy of kindness, care, grace, and heartfelt generosity, - while we hold another and ourselves in that love energy, it has a healing, medicinal quality that might just be what we need right now.
The medicinal balm of kindness can soothe the hate, reduce the inflammation and help us float on a wave of love into something kinder and gentler and gracious for us all. And of course, it means we take a moment and hey buddy ourselves. Hey Laurie, you are doing just fine – be easier with yourself, all is well and all will be well. Take a breath and enjoy the sunrise. Enjoy and be.”
Can you find your “hey buddy” statement to yourself?
Can you find your “hey buddy” statement to yourself? Start to find ways to radiate kindness, sit in kindness, feel kindness and grace in this moment. AND give yourself a break…maybe the greatest kindness of all. That is the start.…and that does not mean you will “do” something kind - like go grocery shopping for your neighbor…but it might. You never know what bubbles from in your heart.
And this is the point, kindness is not a “doing” but a “state of being” in that heart-centered place.
The more I pay attention to my energy field – the more I can feel when my mind/ego is running the show or when my heart is online. When our hearts are online, kindness is natural, love flows freely to ourselves and others, not because we should, just because it is. And living in kindness is medicine, good for the heart, good for the soul, good for humanity… kindness is powerful medicine that should not be dismissed as a nicety, but embraced for the greatness of good it creates.
Share a genuine moment of kindness with yourself.
So today, in a quiet moment, move into your heart and share a genuine moment of kindness with yourself. Give yourself a break on something, or say a “hey buddy” statement to yourself or appreciate something about yourself, or wrap yourself in a blanket and rock back and forth. Give yourself kindness, genuine kindness, and see how it makes you feel and then move into your day.
And as you are guessing, as you are kinder and gentler with yourself you will naturally be a facilitator of kindness into the environment around you. And from this, you never know what magic might happen - but I know for sure - your radiating kindness will make a difference.
Namaste, prospering kindness to yourself and others is medicine.