The thing about kindness is that anyone can be kind to anyone, and everyone involved can feel good because of this. I have a new friend, and she was telling me about a class teaching where she teaches stretching on the beach. That sounded so good to me. I have always wanted to do yoga, but I haven’t found a class yet that was tolerant of my slow progress. She explained that this class was just stretching, and that she adapts what they do to anyone who comes. I discovered another friend of mine had been going and was thrilled with the results. I decided to do something kind for myself and go to class.
My friend offered to carpool, so off we went. There are so many beaches on Maui, and this class was at one I had been to before. When we got there, I discovered that there was a whole area beyond where I was familiar with that was beautiful, and that was where the class was held. The class was small, and each of us had a different range of mobility. Mary, our teacher, was delightful and was skilled in adapting each stretch we did to our personal needs. The stretching felt so good. And when the time came that something was too uncomfortable for me, she moved on with no criticism, just support. As I watched my friend stretch, I was amazed at what she could do. She told me that she hadn’t been able to do what she can now when she started the class. Witnessing that, I knew I could make great progress.
When we were finished, my whole body felt good, revitalized. Everyone was smiling and helping each other pack up our belongings. We all walked together to the parking lots and shared friendly conversation. Mary even carried my chair for me. I realized that the joy the class brought me was the kindness we all shared. We all smiled. We all supported each other. We all were in awe of our beautiful surroundings, and we all felt renewed and refreshed.
This experience caused me to think of the value of kindness in our lives. If everyone committed to kindness, we would all live in peace focusing on the beauty and wonder of our lives. I found myself contemplating ways I could add more kindness into my life by sharing kindness with each person I meet. This week I baked cookies and shared them with friends. I found an ideal place for a friend to live. I hired and assistant who will allow me more time to focus on my work. I attended a drawing class where both teachers were kind in their guidance.
We can easily get wrapped up in what is wrong or difficult in our lives. That’s an easy trap to fall into. This week as I actively sought out kindness, the kindness multiplied around me. The more kindness I noticed, the more kindness appeared. The more I stretched, the more I smiled, the more I chose to practice kindness, the better I felt.
I encourage you to explore how much kindness there is in your life. I promise, you will feel better in all ways.
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