As the saying goes, 'it's nice to be nice'. A friend said this to me earlier this week and it got me thinking.. It really is so important to not only be kind to others, but to be kind to yourself too.
This is something that can actually be really difficult to do, so I have been thinking about what I find helpful, and what simple tips we can all try to implement to make the world a better place!
First and foremost, we can't be kind to others without first being kind to ourselves... But how?
Remember you're only human! As much as we all love to try and stretch ourselves and be superheroes, we HAVE to remember we are only human! We make mistakes, we do shitty things, we aren't perfect.. And that's perfectly okay. I think we all need to remember that it's absolutely fine to do things wrong and make mistakes.. The most important thing is overcoming this and trying to fix any situations we can. Doing something wrong doesn't make you a bad person, what's important is trying to overcome it and not making the same mistake again!
It's okay to put yourself first. I have spoken about this in previous blog posts, but just remember you don't have to always be there for others if you're not in a place to be able to support them! Remember to take time for yourself and listen to your own body and needs too - let's be honest, if you're not feeling right in yourself you're not able to be there for others anyway!
You can be proud of yourself... Certainly my experience of being British is that it's almost frowned upon to 'big yourself up' or be proud of your own achievements... Although being overconfident/cocky isn't always the greatest attribute, it is a good thing to be proud of your achievements and give yourself a pat on the back when you're proud of something!! We should all get better at shouting about our accomplishments!!! If you struggle with this one, try to write down one good thing about yourself each day. I have a friend that makes me do this (lol) and it honestly helps so much!
Once you've mastered being kind to yourself, its amazing to be able to spread the love too... (Feeling allll the cringeeee). So, how can you easily be kind to others? This is a list of small things you can do in every day life, which can honestly make such a HUGE difference to others....
Compliment compliment compliment. We all know the smallest compliment can give you such a huge boost for the day! Whether it's saying you like their top, or that you think they have done a good job at something, it will help give them the confidence in their abilities or their fashion choices!!
Say hello and SMILE! I don't know about you, but I absolutely love it when people say good morning, or just give a little smile - stranger or not - it's such a small thing, but can really brighten someone's day!
Ask people how they are, like really... If you notice a friend or colleague is a little quieter than usual, or not as upbeat it literally takes two seconds to check in... You never know how much that might mean to somebody or what they have got going on. In my experience it's the small 'check ins' that make all the difference to people, and it helps signal to them that you are there to talk to if they need to.
Tell retail/customer service workers to have a nice day! Again, probably something that seems really mundane and small, but this can honestly make such a huge difference to people. Especially because they often only remember the negative customers they have..
Small acts of kindness. This is a wide reaching one, but I thought I would put in a general point to remember to complete small acts of kindness where you can... Whether it's buying a homeless person a coffee, or baking a friend some cookies, it is the spontaneous acts of kindness which often mean the most. It doesn't have to be a lot, but its honestly the thought that counts!
Try not to judge. I, more than most, have to remember this one. Everyone is living their own life, and we all need to try and remember to judge less and love more. Especially when it doesn't affect us, we have to try and remember to stay focussed on our own actions, and try not to get wrapped up in the actions of others!
Finally, I think we have to remember that we never know what is going on in the lives of others, so it is really important to be open and kind to everyone around us, because you never know the impact you are having! It is often the little things that mean the most, and the kinder we all are, the nicer the world is.
This is probably THE most cringe post yet, but I thought it was so important, especially at the minute, to remind people to be kind and try and spread love over than hate... There are so many wonderful people in this world and I think it helps when we all bring out the best in each other!
If you've stuck out the cringe this long then I commend you !! Thanks for reading,
as always - I really do appreciate it!
If you have any other suggestions on small acts of kindness, or any advice about how you try to make the world a better place, I would
love to hear them!
Thanks as always guys!
Stay safe and be kind.
B x
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