"WORDS ARE, IN MY NOT-SO-HUMBLE OPINION, OUR MOST INEXHAUSTIBLE SOURCE OF MAGIC. CAPABLE OF BOTH INFLICTING INJURY, AND REMEDYING IT." ~ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Radical Kindness


I'm certain you all know Carolina Valdez Miller, if not in person, then by her blog or twitter. (And if not, you should. She's funny and intelligent--and kind.) 

See, she had this idea (though she didn't want credit for it, because that's just how she is!) to encourage radical kindness

rad·i·cal/ˈradikəl/
Adjective:
(esp. of change or action) Relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough.
kind·ness/ˈkīn(d)nis/
Noun:
  1. The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
  2. A kind act.*

Radical kindness. 

Fundamental kindness. 

Kindness as a principle  

Here's the thing:

Too often kindness is relegated to a random act performed only when we’re feeling good.  But an even greater kindness (to ourselves and others) occurs when we reach out even when we aren't feeling entirely whole . It’s not easy, and no one is perfect. But we’ve decided it’s not impossible to brighten the world one smile, one kind word, one blog post at a time. To that end, a few of us writers have established The Kindness Project, starting with a series of inspirational posts.

Today, I pledge to make kindness a priority in my life. Seriously, I just started grinning while I wrote that. I'm giddy about this, taking a more conscious approach to making kind decisions. And I can't wait to share how it goes. 

Because it's Wednesday, on the Blog Me MAYbe schedule, I get to ask YOU guys something. So here's the question, and I hope as you think of your answer, a smile crosses your face in the memory! 

What kindness--large or small--have you been witness to recently? 

Your answers will be what makes today's post inspiring. <3

Also posting today for The Kindness Project:


Be sure to check them out :D We post the second Wednesday of every month. Want to join us? Grab our button and spread a little kindness.


*Definitions via Google.

16 comments:

  1. It's awesome to be joining so many others pledging to make kindness a part of their lives. :D Great first post!

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  2. My nephew has this word he made up: meaniac. It's like a meany and a maniac all in one.

    I pretty much consider you a nice-iac.

    So proud to be a part of this - huge thanks to Carol!

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  3. I saw lovely little acts of kindness at work today. One colleague paying for another's coffee when she realised she didn't have her purse -- and they don't know each other particularly well. Another colleague grabbing me a Pepsi without needing to be asked and bringing it over to the room where I was running training, because she could see from outside I was flagging. Just tiny things, but they all add up together to make such a difference.

    So glad to be a part of this with you!

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  4. Oh, Amie, sometimes it's the tiny unexpected acts that mean so much. Thank you for sharing.

    And, Saraboo, I ♡ heart ♡ you. I want you to know that I'm very proud of you. You've grown so much in the last year. I'm excited for you guys getting the new house! I'm grateful for the boxes of goodies you send me. You my one and only Boo. My blue-eyed Boo.

    Have fun in Mexico, and give Cam a hug for me.

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  5. Well, my answer is on my blog today! But also got some really nice texts from a friend when I needed them badly. Glad to be on this project with you:)

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  6. I so love this idea of spreading kindness! Most recently, I've witnessed my daughter engaging in various acts of kindness. She has the sweetest little heart, and I hope she continues along her path of generosity!

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  7. What a lovely idea! And very kind of you all to get it out there. :)

    I saw a young man let a harried mom go ahead of him in line at the grocery store. I thought that was pretty darned kind.

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  8. My first answer is reading all the blog posts from the people on this project, and the comments they've received because of it! But, IRL, seeing my team members from my day job deliver our Mother's Day gifts to the Ronald McDonald House/Riley Children's Hospital in downtown Indy. That was a beautiful thing to see.
    I'm happy to be in this project with you. Nice to meet you!

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  9. Well, most recently--this project! It's nice to see a flurry of activity around something positive instead of a swarm of attention to the latest drama. I'm happy to be a part of this!

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  10. SUCH an awesome idea! I need to focus on making kind decisions more in my life, too, not just the random acts. What a beautiful way to spend your time!

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  11. Carol is amazing, isn't she? And so are you Sara! All of the comments you've ever left on my blog are so thoughtful and mean so much, that has been a great act of kindness to me. To feel like you cared about me, even though you didn't (don't?) know me all that well. So glad we're in this together!

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  12. I love this project so much that I blogged about it today. You all are awesome. I love your commitment, but truly, S, you are so kind already. I am blessed you are in my world.

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  13. So happy to be a part of this with you! My answer is my blog post today. :)

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  14. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes for you, Sara. Already the texts you've sent have brightened my day. As for kindnesses I've witnessed today...I had several children hug me at school today, talking a mile a minute about what they were up to. Then after school I had one little girl sit on my lap and rest her head against me at my daughter's youth group, just sweet as can be. And then the lovely messages I've received throughout the day, all the encouragement that makes me feel like what we're doing, however small it might be, comes from a good place and may just make a difference yet. It's times like this that make it easy to dismiss the grumpbutt at the grocery store or the guy who flipped me off when he nearly wrecked into me. Funny how that works. I just smile and wave and they stare like I'm some alien from another universe. Lol.

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  15. <3

    Given the fact I'm still staring at this box trying to think of the last act of kindness I can remember, clearly I need to take your pledge.

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  16. Radical kindness - what an amazing project. Looking forward to joining you on this and blogging about radical kindness. Yay!

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Yay! I love when you have things to add :)