Kindness is the Revolution

Feel good. Look good. Do good.

Several weeks ago, I ran past this catchy slogan on the Happy Givers website, an online clothing store where you can “change the world one purchase at a time”.

As I scrolled through their website, I came upon the “Kindness is the Revolution” Collection. Those four words grabbed my attention and I knew I wanted to support their work.

After making my purchase, I thought more about this concept. Can kindness really be the revolution? And how closely is it related to their website’s slogan?

Feel good. – Have you ever heard the phrase, “Hurt people… hurt people”? Often times, what comes out of us is reflective of what is going on inside of us. If you encounter a person who is rude, unkind or mean, more than likely, they are feeling/thinking some unkind, mean, rude things about themselves. I’ve grown a lot in how I handle when someone is unkind to me or mistreats me. I realize it says a lot more about them than it does me. For “out of the mouth so the heart speaks”.

Look good. – We all want to look good and present ourselves in the best light. Be it in what we wear, how we accessorize, apply makeup, or experiment with different hairstyles. But what we put on our bodies is not the only thing we wear. We also wear our emotions. We can wear our thoughts and judgments through the expressions on our face and acceptance (or lack thereof) in our eyes. I’ve always been told that I cannot hide how I feel. If you and I are in a good place, then you definitely know it, and if we’re not, well, you know that too.

Do Good. – I am a big supporter of personal health and wholeness. I believe in practicing mindfulness, going to therapy, journaling; just about anything that allows you to process your thoughts and feelings in a healthy way.

There’s a reason why airline stewards tell you in a time of emergency, to first put your facemask on and then help others. We are best equipped to help others, when we first do the work within.

How kind are your thoughts about yourself?  This can affect how kind your thoughts are about others. And how much in your daily life would you say that you feel good, look good, and do good? Are there any areas that can be improved upon?

Lately, my heart has been hurting from the unkindness I see on the news and in social media. It doesn’t seem like we listen to each other, or at least not in an effective way. It seems there are very few people who are open to real discussions. In Proverbs, it says, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his (her) opinion.”  I don’t know about you, but my momma didn’t raise no fool! 😉

Passionate discourse is a beautiful thing. Kindness is even more beautiful. 

While I may have strong viewpoints on certain issues, I also have love. I know the truth can only be shared and planted in love.  We all can passionately disagree on hotly debated topics, but we cannot expect real change to happen in the hearts of others (or ourselves) if we do not first operate in love.

When in a discussion, ask yourself, do I expect other people to listen to me but not offer the same courtesy?  Can I really say I respond out of love to them? Or am I responding out of hurt, anger, frustration, judgment, etc? All of these feelings are valid when discussing important issues, but are they helpful?

What is your end goal? To argue with someone? Or do you desire for something good, some real change to transpire? If that is your goal, then it can only happen rooted in love. And Kindness is an extension of love.

The bible has one of the best one-liners when engaging in a healthy debate:

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. -Prov. 31:26

So yes, kindness is the revolution! And I believe the foundation lies in how we think and feel about ourselves. And from there it is how we look, how we present ourselves to others. Am I wearing a smile today or a frown? Then, through all of this, we are able to do good. To be kind to one another. To treat others as we would want to be treated. And to extend the same grace that has been freely bestowed upon us.

Who’s ready to start a revolution? 🙂

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~Aesop