Kindness really does change everything

Have you ever considered that there might be one thought or common idea, that you live by every moment of every day? Possibly even without recognizing it?

Kindness really does change everything. Pick one of these little difference makers today

That sounds like a mouthful to sit down and ponder, but I bet you have one. It’s something that has affect on almost everything you do from making a mug of coffee to paying bills to traveling somewhere exciting.

That little thing would be your personal manifesto.

manifesto: a public declaration of policy and aims

Take some time to ponder what yours might be. Maybe even sit down in your preferred comfy chair with a cup of iced tea and a journal and jot down ideas for how you want to express the life you live. I think it’s a good way to see the sunnier side of our daily lives and the world in general, especially when there’s such travesty on the news right now.

One of mine is: I believe that kindness changes everything.

I believe there is goodness and love in every person and in every situation. We all want to be heard and loved and seen. 

I believe we should always pause to listen and to love one another. To recognize the little things and write them down.

I believe that women are capable of magnificent things, and we need to lift each other in confidence and self beauty. We are too hard on ourselves. We can be too hard on each other.

You see, I believe we were born with wings.

pocket-of-joy

I believe in buying an extra box of cereal, sharing it with a family in need or donating it to the food bank’s collection bin at checkout.

I believe in inviting people to your dinner table when you know they’re eating alone. Or bringing them hot dinner at home, because I remember sitting alone when my husband was away for work one long month when our son was a few months old.

I believe in exhaling at the kitchen table with a friend and making unexpected phone calls to faraway friends.

I believe in keeping a gratitude journal so that I remember the abundant joy in the littlest things.

I believe in writing letters, even to people who never write back because I remember watching my grandma’s sad face when her mailbox was empty.

I believe in sharing as many ice cream sandwiches as I can. And laughs. And more hugs than we know what to do with. To share joy in the stories we tell.

I believe a life of kindness makes this world a better place. That spreading that kindness in unexpected ways has huge impact.

Yep. Truly, kindness does change everything.

What do you think? Is kindness a manifesto you carry with you every day? How do you show it or share it?

Storycatcher, mother and entrepreneur, Katie Clemons, has appeared on HGTV, given a TEDxTalk, and washed sticky finger prints off every appliance. She also blogs at Making This Home about simple, handmade living from a vintage airplane hangar in Montana, USA.