Harness Kindness as a Super Power

Kindness has become a rarity in our culture, no longer occurring as naturally or commonly as it once did. It is more common that we are too busy to even notice – a person who had stumbled, or rushing to a closing lift door, or a pregnant woman standing in the bus, or a mother juggling grocery bags and screaming kids – much less do something about it.

We live in a detached world where everyone is distracted. We have no idea what another person is going through. Sadly, we don’t even know what those closest to us are going through – their private battles and silent tears. Yet, we are quick to judge and condemn – particularly among keyboard warriors and netizens who arrogantly voice their opinions, behind the shield of digital media and/or anonymity, and without the filter of normal social decorum!

We need to bring back kindness as part of our way of life. Kindness can bring great hope and joy, which has a rippling effect of kindness spreading far and wide with lasting imprint to our hearts and souls.

A kind word spoken at the right time can transform a person’s life.

A kind remark can inspire others.

A kind act can heal wounds.

A kind gesture can offer strength and comfort.

A kind question can show curiosity and seek to understanding.

A kind smile can bring joy and laughter.

A kind giving can help someone in their critical finances.

A kind thoughtfulness can bring warmth to a friend in need.

A kind heart can love profoundly.

A kind consideration can uplift spirits.

A kind hand can reach out to the lonely and desperate.

In all the kindness to others, let us always remember:

to be kind to ourselves.

The reason kindness is a super power is that it takes courage to be kind – when we speak lovingly, or write thoughtfully, or give generously, or smile, or reach out, or forgive, or being considerate, or sometimes, when we go out of our way to do something for another person. And this courage gives us the power to do something good and bring out the goodness in others.

Let us harness kindness as a super power – to bring hope, compassion, generosity, inspiration and understanding into the world.

How to Nourish a Starved Soul

We nourish our bodies with nutritious food.
So I pondered: how do I nourish my starved soul?

Let me share my ways:
– Gratitude: give thanks for the many blessings in my life
– Kindness: being kind to myself, and not beat myself up when I fail
– Gentleness: be gentle and go easy on myself on hard days
– Forgiveness: forgive myself
– Experience pain and sorrow: to allow the emotions to overwhelm me in a safe space, and not bury them all the time; to cry, scream or shout or any other ways to let my emotions flow out safely
– Reading: to gain insight, learnings, and to enter into the world of the author
– Travel: to explore new places, food, cultures and environment
– Support: to seek support from family and friends who understands me, instead of carrying the burden by myself
– Authenticity: to have the courage to be vulnerable and to reveal my true self, good and bad
– Beauty: to recognize the beauty within my soul and treasure it
– Service: to reach out to serve others in need, to service in a community
– To Love: to love others unconditionally, no strings attached
– To Be Loved: to allow others to love me unconditionally, to allow them to enter into my inner world
– To know that – It’s okay not to be okay sometimes, that I haven’t gotten it all together in some seasons of my life, but it’s okay
– To Wait: to know that I sometimes need to wait for God’s timing for my life, that He is working in my life as I wait patiently for Him
– To Meditate or Practice Mindfulness: to quieten my busy mind and seek my inner strength within
– To Trust in God: for me, this is the most important one; to trust that God is always faithful to walk with me through my joys and sorrows, and that He is always with me through thick and thin

To tell you the truth: I don’t always do all these things above. When our bodies are starved, we can feel the hunger pangs. But when our souls are starved, we are sometimes not even aware of it. Let us always remind ourselves to nourish our souls lovingly.

Feel free to add to my list in the comments. I would love to find out more ways to nourish my soul. Thanks!