To the question of how to live and act in the heart and from the heart, the simplest answer is—be kind. Be kind to yourself, to others, and to everything around you. Regardless of our personality, habits, or past, we all have countless opportunities every day to be kind. However, it is very important that we are genuinely kind and do not expect any benefit in return.
We should not condition it either, as in, “If you are kind to me, I will be kind to you.” Kindness should become a habit, and people and circumstances will start to change. Let’s observe the kindness happening around us every day. Even the small smile from a cashier, the driver who gives way, or a friendly greeting from a colleague.
We will be surprised at how much kindness surrounds us, though in our daily rush, we often don’t notice it or may even think we are entitled to it, seeing it as nothing special.
Remember, kindness is also a matter of survival. In a world where people act like wolves to one another, in the end, only the wolves remain. Without kindness, the world becomes a dark and lonely prison for each of us. But we must be careful not to use kindness to manipulate people. Kindness should not be confused with sweetness. We all know the difference very well, so I won’t waste words on that.
Sometimes, our kindness may be rejected. We cannot control how others will react. In such cases, we have the option to either get angry or to step back. Anger, of course, will achieve nothing. Stepping back is not running away; it creates the possibility for the person to calm down.
We may never experience positive outcomes from our kindness toward negative people, but we must remain true to ourselves. Sometimes, it’s more of a “long-distance run.” Our kindness will gradually soften a person’s negativity toward us. Someone who is unfriendly, angry, or hostile toward us expects a certain reaction from us. If we flare up, cry, or respond in kind, we are essentially feeding their ego.
Our kindness takes away their power, confuses them, and suddenly they are like a balloon that has lost its air.
Kindness is the key path to the heart, happiness, and freedom. Let’s not just be polite, as politeness is merely a learned behavior, a part of good manners. With politeness, we remain cold inside, while kindness fills us with warmth. This warmth spreads within and beyond us. We can only give what is inside us.
This warmth is a light much stronger than the dusk and the darkness.
It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it!