Reflection and Kindness

We’ve never thought of spring as a reflective time of year. Rather, it is an energizing, and colorfully vibrant transition from the short, dark days of winter.

This year feels different. Not because of any special insight, but because we looked at the calendar and realized that spring is a time when three major religious celebrations overlap: Lent, Passover, and Ramadan. Each brings a call to reflection, forgiveness, and faith. Not everyone embraces religion, but these concepts can be universally accepted. That begs the question “what can we collectively do to set them in motion “?

Every culture recognizes that kindness is something that all humans need to experience.

Kindness has a singular ability to unlock our shared humanity.

It is intrinsically risky as it can make us look foolish. As a result, kindness is an act of courage whether you are giving or receiving it.

Impromptu acts of kindness are effortless and inexpensive. They are selfless, compassionate, and merciful. Being kind is a choice and, with practice, can become our default mode.

Kindness is a foundational virtue which nurtures other higher attributes like empathy. It is something that one can give without losing anything themselves.

Kindness is hard to capture in words. The best way to understand it is to practice it. Love is at the core of kindness and encompasses compassion, generosity and service. It disarms cynicism and reaffirms faith in humanity.

The list of people commenting on kindness ranges from Confucius and  Plato to Eric Hoffer and Maya Angelou. In between, we found Mark Twain who said:

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

Kindness should become a lifestyle, but it can be hard to start and sustain. At Dye & Eskin, Inc. we are committed to figuring it out. We will start with the simplest approach: being friendly, generous, and considerate.

KINDNESS MATTERS