Kindness Coach

Author: Sara Jane Arnold

Kindness can be defined as a personal trait, value, and moral habit that influences how we think, feel, and act towards ourselves, others, and the world. When kindness is present in our thoughts, it embodies consideration, care, imagination, understanding, empathy, validation, acceptance, and non-judgment, and we can recognize kindness in ourselves and in others. When kindness manifests in our actions, it includes fairness, respect, consideration, support, celebration, gentleness, encouragement, a desire to help others, and positive social behavior (volunteering to do something to help another person). We can apply kind behavior in our daily lives. When kindness manifests in our feelings, we feel care, compassion, warmth, understanding, and empathy, and we feel motivated to be kind and take action. Kindness, by its very nature, is inherently linked to other values important for our happiness, such as assertiveness, self-care, self-esteem, gratitude, love, trust, mindfulness, connection, responsibility, affection, altruism, and generosity. Kindness is influenced by our upbringing, life experiences, current situation, social context, and perceptions. Kindness can be offered with the intention of alleviating suffering, or as a general way to foster wonderful feelings like happiness, gratitude, serenity, and love. There is a sense of mutual appreciation, unity, and mutual support.