Kindness, such a simple word

I was asked to write a blog about kindness for World Kindness Day, which is November 13th.

Kindness. Such a simple word. Kindness can be a lot of things. It can be holding the door open for someone else. It can be pitching in or paying for someone else's tab if they're short on money for their bill. It could be as drastic as saving someone out of a burning car. Kindness says you care.

Kindness is one facet of love. Love is the highest trait of Spirit and Soul. Spirit is what is in everything and connects us all in the universe. Soul and Ego are what we possess inside that makes us our own unique specimen within the whole. Love comes from Spirit, which is pure. Hate comes from a contaminated mind. We are taught and exposed to fear and hate. When you are kind to someone else, it sends the message to them that you are aware of them and care about their experience. I wrote a few blogs already on some Acts of Kindness that I personally have done. You can find them here: Random act of Kindness ; Day of Giving ; The Rescue ; Doing the Right Thing ; The Epic Healing

The main reason I started out trembling on a street-corner in Los Angeles dressed like an angel to promote kindness on a posterboard, was to get people reconnected; to be kind to each other again. Common courtesy seems to be fading, along with caring about the welfare of other people. If this continues to degrade, more chaos and hate will result. Why don't we all start realizing that we're like one big ant bed of humanity on Earth, but we're so disconnected and disorganized despite being such a highly-advanced species, that we're destroying our home. Earth, nature, and other species are suffering because of our ignorance and lack of cohesion.

Everywhere you look are people who are stressed out and going through all kinds of difficult things in their life. If you took any one person, you could probably make a movie out of their life story. We ALL go through tough things, we all go through scary things, we all have moments where we don't understand why life is treating us this way. Life in this realm is meant to teach you things as a soul entity through a human experience. You have been given a body that is your soul's vehicle for this lifetime on Earth.
Maybe you've heard the expression "Life is like a game of cards." In so many ways, it is. You are dealt a hand of cards: your body, your family, your characteristics from both your DNA and how you are raised. "Nature versus Nurture"...both result in who you are today. Life and other people can hand you additional cards throughout your existence in the form of events that happen, and opinions and advice from others. But ultimately, it is how YOU play your own cards. You are gifted with free will. It's your choice how you deal with, perceive, integrate, and react to the things that happen to you and the information you receive. Appreciating the things you DO have is the first step to more happiness coming from within yourself. The happier you are, the more you can share it with others around you.

Where kindness comes in, is understanding that everyone is going through the same basic thing: struggling through life to learn their lessons and evolve, and to be considerate of others around you. Creation and cells are in constant evolution, everything is always changing. It doesn't matter how rich or how poor someone is, they can be going through hell on earth. Every journey is unique. Even identical twins born at the same time will have two different journeys. They won't have the same relationship or bodily experiences. You never know the full extent of what someone else is going through; what is happening in their life or mind. Their mind is what is shaping their experiences beyond what life presents to them. Each one of us is a unique specimen on this earth, just like each speck of sand is unique when placed under a microscope; yet all together the body of sand creates a beach. All people are a species of humanity. If we were all blind, our physical differences wouldn't matter so much, we'd relate so much differently and really "see" more into a person's soul.

Kindness says "Namaste". The literal meaning of Namaste is "I bow to you", but in the spiritual community, when you say it to someone else, it means "I honor the place in you where Spirit lives. The light in me acknowledges the light in you". We're all struggling to find our way, our purpose, our meaning. Some people have just lost their way. Some people have no idea who they really are. Some people have been so abused, that their minds don't function optimally. Some people have medical conditions from either birth defects or accidents during life that alter their life experience. Everything has a purpose, everyone has a meaning.

I got really deep on this subject, but to wrap things up for now, I'd like to encourage others to be more aware of the plights of the people around you. Put your cell phone down more often and really BE in the moment. Pay attention to your surroundings. You're missing out on life and possible human connections that are meant to further your journey.

Remember to say "please" when asking for something from someone else. Remember to say "Thank you" when someone does something for you. Kindness and gratitude will do more for you in the long run than selfishness and rudeness. Be a nicer driver: don't honk unless you absolutely have to, and if you do, make it a short little beep. You affect everyone around you when you honk, not just the person you're honking at. I know I've been startled numerous times from other honkers who lay on their horns excessively or meanly at someone else. Use your blinker/indicator turn signals when you drive, that is a very basic common courtesy! Look for ways to help others around you. If we all show more kindness and work together more, we can evolve as a species in a more positive way.

Namaste,
Mandelyn Reese
The LA Street Angel
11-6-13