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Today's
Meditation:
If there is one human quality that could truly
transform this world in which we live into a much more
positive place, kindness would be it. After all,
love in action usually manifests itself as kindness, and
kind acts are extremely important in all of our
lives. Somehow, though, we seem to ration out our
kindness-- "I've been kind to others three times
already today, so this time I'll be less kind so that
others don't see me as soft."
There truly is no end to our opportunities to be
kind. Yes, it may seem like that person is using me
by asking for a favor, but since I really don't know his
motivations, I can choose the kind response. It's
not my job to take care of others, but she really looks
like she could use some help, and I have the capacity to
be kind, so I shall be. Heck, sometimes a simple
kind word can be like a balm to a person who just needs to
hear something that shows them that someone cares.
What would our lives be like if we could live by this rule
that James proposes? How would people respond to
us? How would we feel about ourselves? How
would people treat the next person they meet after having
been the recipient of our kindness? Kindness is one
of the strongest of all methods of influencing others, and
it certainly is something that often gets passed on,
whether we ever witness it being passed on or not.
Each day, almost each moment, we have chances to say or do
something kind. It can be simple, and it can be
modest, but kindness is kindness, and it is never
wasted. Just as we may have to strike a stone 100
times with a hammer before it breaks, sometimes a person may need to
experience kindness over and over before their armor is
pierced. . . so even though we may not witness all of the
results of our kindness, it is still a wonderful quality
to show and to share to make life-- the lives of others and
our own lives-- brighter and more positive.
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