“Kindness in Action is the fundamental learning of this time. It is that which fills the spaces in between us, unites us, moves us to tears, heals us. In the end it will be the acts of love and kindness which will overcome and the reunion will be all the more meaningful, soulful, joyful and sustainable because of it”
What is the R of Kindness?
When this is over, will we ever forget the first clap and the image of the NHS worker leaving home to a whole community of support, the doctors and nurses brought to their knees, the hands placed at windows of the care homes, those isolated, depressed and anxious, lonely … frightened, those that died alone and those that grieved alone? … Let us hope we forget the empty shelves, the scams and the selfishness, as part of a past that is now truly behind us … And then there are rainbows, once a symbol of hope now also a symbol of compassion, love, unity. And our Nature - how grateful we have become for that, simple things, so little we truly need. These are indeed extraordinary times, times that will change us forever. Let us never forget that it was the Kindness that got us through. Let us remember that it is Kindness that will get us through.
Kindness is intrinsic to not only the experience of life on Earth but to the experience of being human. Without Kindness there is an absence of that which defines life, defines love and defines meaning within existence. Without this vital aspect of Love, the very fabric of our being begins to break down.
The absence of Kindness has consequence, it has its effect in all of that which the World is facing at this time. And through the eons of time of life on Earth, those moments when the desire for power has overthrown basic human rights, destruction has always ensued, as it has now, as that need for power, the need for more has reached a pinnacle again. In the void left by the absence of Kindness, viruses take root, in those places where respect for human life has been lost, cast aside in favour of control, dominance, self interest, in the places where personal needs and desires have been placed over the needs of others, the sanctity of our planet, of our bodies and our minds. Where taking and having is valued over giving and sharing, where the desire to compete and to win has caused a laying aside of the basic human action of Love, the loyalty and commitment to fellow human beings, the compassion for suffering. The denial that every word, thought and action we take has consequence has brought the World to its knees.
Where Kindness is absent there is no Love and Love is the harmony, the basis of all life, it is the energy of life that flows through all things. Where there is no Love there can be no healing and so it makes sense that the only true cure for this suffering will come through the return to the basic instinct of Kindness, that which evokes that intangible feel good factor that brings life and flow and exponential energy to all things.
Kindness starts with the self, then moves beyond to loved ones and family, to unite communities and nations. It is that which enables all individuals to transcend the ordinary and create the extraordinary. It is the action that gives way to Compassion, the outpouring of Love that transforms suffering and moves a million mountains of pain.
The wisdom is in recognising this link between Compassion and Suffering, seeing that selfishness and greed are a product of fear and to bring again into the World the Love for Life in all its forms that will transcend all disease and destruction.
The changes facing humanity now are momentous. It is a time to move forward into a better way of life, a way where the seeds of Kindness are sown again within the deserts of fear, need, speed, greed and cruelty. A World where the thirst for power is quenched with compassion and a way where the World grows and blossoms and will never again choose to go back to those deserts of suffering where excess reigned and respect for self and others was cast aside. A World where the sun will never again be eclipsed by evil.
Every small act of Kindness takes us there, takes us to that new future, a future where we will remember again that we belong to each other.
Those who truly understand the Power of Compassion will be those that envision this World of greater enlightenment and peace. A world where everyone plays their part, where there is a balanced distribution of resources, where there is Love and care for the planet and all within it. Where we seek to collaborate rather than control, where we seek to unite rather than dominate, where we will be grateful for what we have rather than constantly striving for more.
Imagine a World where success is measured by Kindness…
In your homes, communities and organisations it is Compassionate Leadership that will bring the World into recovery, bring about the healing that will be needed at all levels of society and together we will rebuild it, brick for brick with Kindness, with Unity and in Peace.
Thank you