Something a little different today, but a message I feel is important on the journey to self-employment, self-improvement or any advancement. What happens around us, to us and the way we treat ourselves has such a huge impact on so many things within our day to day lives. The world would be a much nicer place if everyone remembered to be kind.

Following the death of Caroline Flack #BeKind was everywhere. However, it didn’t take long for people to forget the be kind movement. I for one, think kindness can make a huge difference in our own lives, and the lives of others. We should all show kindness in our daily lives and here’s a little info on how.

Be kind to strangers

On your commute to work, going to visit friends and family, going shopping, going out for a meal, on holiday. There are so many places where we will see or interact with strangers. Very few of these strangers will feel comfortable divulging their life stories or current struggles. We will never know the full amount of pain, challenges or struggles those around us are going through.

You may not be able to actively help a stranger or pay things forward. However, consciously making the effort to not make things harder can go a long way. When interacting with retail or hospitality staff (or any workers really) remember that they are human. Has a mistake been made? Point it out calmly and they may be able to help. If you are rude, if you shout at the staff or blame them and make it personal they will be a lot less willing to fix the problem. In some cases, you may even end up in a worse situation than you started or get kicked out of the establishment.

Make things easier for you and those around you by choosing kindness. It can help in so many situations.

To your support network

Those around us who we trust and can confide in have a huge role to play in our lives. They help to guide us, give advice and support us on our road to becoming the people we dream of. However, as much as it is great to have the ability to turn to someone at any time without judgement, have you checked on their needs? Are their needs being met as well? Do they have things they need to get off their chests? Have you made sure they have the capacity to take on what you are hoping to offload onto them?

Having a support network is a fantastic thing! They can help, support, guide, advise, teach, and reassure you. But, they are people too, they have boundaries and limits. Make sure you are looking after these gems. Discuss your boundaries and needs. Help them address their issues as well as asking them to help with yours.

Be kind to your body

Our bodies do so much for us without even needing to think about it. Some people have physical ailments that they may need support with. Others may rely on machines to keep them alive or to give them independence. Whatever the situation though, our bodies and the journey to existence are miraculous. There is such a small chance of each and every one of us existing.

Apparently, there’s a 1 in 400 trillion chance of you even being born. The specific individual that is you, with all of your quirks, flaws, interests, curves, markings etc. Even if you are an identical twin no one will ever be the exact same as you. You are one of a kind, I’d say that is quite an amazing miracle.

Each day be thankful for all your body CAN do, rather than judging it for things it has not learned yet or struggles with. Admire your body for the wonderful things it does for you rather than comparing it to photoshopped and filtered images and thinking of all the ways you have decided it is inadequate. Treat your body with kindess and respect. Treat other people’s bodies with kindness and respect.

To your mind

Metal health and wellbeing is something a lot of people (including myself) struggle with. There is such a scale of mental health conditions that we are aware of nowadays. So many kinds of treatment and support available. The importance of mental health is finally (albeit slowly) being realised. Keeping your mind healthy is as important as keeping your body healthy.

With this in mind, watch what is being put into your mind. Keep an eye on your internal dialogue, intrusive thoughts and how you see yourself. It’s amazing how much difference a more positive way of speaking to ourselves can have on all sorts of areas of our lives. You are an incredible person, worthy of incredible things. Once you start realising this, knowing your worth, speaking positively about yourself and your potential there is no limit to what you can achieve.

In short, choose love, acceptance and kindness above all every day. You might be surprised how much of an impact small acts of kindness and changes to a more positive attitude can have on you, your life and those around you.

Keep believing x

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Rachel Parker

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