Kindness: You Can Do It

"No kind action ever stops with itself.  One kind action leads to another.  Good example is followed.  A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.  The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.
― Amelia Earhart

The McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University has developed a program, "You Can Do This: An Approach to Raising Wonderful Children," based on the principles of positive behavior support.  One of the segments is "Showing Kindness."  On the webpage and in a great video, three steps to kindness are set out:

1.       Notice Opportunities

2.      Feel and Understand

3.      Use Caring Words and Actions

It's a pretty simple formula, but guaranteed to work.  http://education.byu.edu/youcandothis/showing_kindness.html#macaroni

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Earlier today, I attended a women's retreat at my daughters' school.  We were given a break for personal reflection, but another woman and I ended up in conversation instead.  My guess is that we needed that more.  Not surprisingly, we found that we had much in common.  In sharing, we found connection and kindness.  After we left, she sent me a text that began, "Thanks for showing up today..."  Sometimes when you show up -- even on a gray, rainy day when you would rather be snuggled in bed, you end up being graced with kindness.