Hello,
The ultimate “habit that helps” is of course kindness. Get this to be part of your character and life-style and you’ve got yourself a guarantee for joy and success. It’s a powerful habit to create and one that transfers into every area of your life! [ FREE 21-day e-coaching program to create new habits on this site]
Apply the following 3 points while building a habit of kindness:
1. Be specific: It’s about focused kindness. Deciding to be kind is a wonderful decision. Sounds great and for some people it might even be enough to bring about a breakthrough in thought and behavior. But here’s the thing, MOST people need more structure, discipline and practice. In creating a new habit, repetition is key. Discipline is imperative. New behaviors don’t get formed with random and unfocused behavior.
So, each day make a specific decision to do a kind thing, for someone in particular. Do this for 21 days straight and you will find yourself habitually kind at the end of this period.
Another advantage to the ‘focused kindness approach’ is this – someone gets to benefit each day and they will pass the kindness forward. It just happens naturally; when a person is touched a desire wells up in their soul to touch someone else. See research on kindness and its contagious nature here.
With focused kindness that personal human connection is more likely to be made.
2. Pebble in the pond: You know what happens when you throw a pebble into a pond, right? It ripples outward from where the pebble lands. Imagine those circles moving outward.
This is how your kind acts should flow. Starting with those closest to you, be kind on a daily basis. This doesn’t mean you have to perform an act of kindness towards every member of your family and close friends, before moving onto colleagues and then strangers: Not at all! What you have to be careful of is withholding kindness from those closest to you while you make the world happy. This is not an authentic approach to kindness. Just keep the pebble in mind. First circles first. (Kindness towards your self is assumed here – can’t give love and kindness to others if you withhold it from yourself!) See article on 11 “Selfish” Acts of Kindness here.
3. Stretch! If writing notes is something you do often and is very easy for you, that’s great. Do some of that for sure.
If smiling at strangers however is something you struggle with, make up your mind to do a good bit of that. The goal is to become more comfortable with a range of kindness actions. Some personal growth along the way is a wonderful by-product.
So stretch, grow, go beyond your comfort zone.
Together these 3 guidelines will bring variety, fun and authenticity to your kindness efforts.
Full commitment to being kind will be very rewarding as more and more people will be touched. Your tree of kindness will blossom and bear perpetual fruits of kindness.
Have a joy filled, peaceful and loving day or evening…and thank you so much for putting this into action. “BE the change we wish to see in the world.” (Gandhi)
Wishing you Love, Peace and Joy…all possible through kindness
♥~