Are You a Kind Person?

Do you consider yourself to be a kind person? If the elderly person cannot lift something, are you there to save the day? When someone needs a favor, do you go through with it? Does it make you feel good to do nice things for other people? If people are made fun of, will you be the brave person to stick up for them? The questions I asked are ones that kind people have no trouble answering. A kind person receives pleasure knowing they are kind to other people.

When I think about kindness, I think it can be easier to be kind to other people than it is to be kind to myself. I can tell and do nice things for other people all day, but the thought of being kind to me used to sound absurd. If you are having difficulty visualizing what I am saying, think about all the times you stood in front of the mirror and nitpicked your physical appearance. "Why is my waistline so big?" "Was I really blessed with bad acne?" "How come my thighs look like they want to eat Earth?" If you cannot relate to personal physical insults, then you may have been mean to yourself in other ways. "Why can't I be a smart as him?" "How come s/he gets every job, but I can't get an employer to look at me? Is it because I am not worthy of an employer's attention?" "Why is her life so perfect? How come I am being punished for not being perfect or rich enough?"

Stop being mean to yourself! You will drive yourself crazy! Gray hairs, brittle nails, headaches, and tears are not worth it. I used to be mean to myself. Even when I had it good, I still wondered why I wasn't happy. Unless I started being kind to myself, I would never be happy. To be honest with you, it was really hard at first. I didn't want to believe I was good enough. I lived my entire life with a chip on my shoulders. It weighed on my mind and affected every category of wellness.

I knew I had to put an end to the torture I put myself through. Think about it: it was torture I chose to endure. Since it was a choice I made initially, I made the choice to become better, I began doing a few things that changed my life. I began by being patient with myself. Some days, I will be comfortable in my skin. Other days, I will not feel great. Being patient with myself has allowed me to embrace my body and mind. Once I accomplished this, then I started giving myself compliments and gave myself pep talks. After this, I took a long look at my past. I held onto a lot of unnecessary baggage. I had to forgive events and people who caused me pain. From here on out, all areas of my life were impacted positively.

I know it can be easier to be kind to others, but not to yourself. Anyone can find the right words to say to someone else. However, you cannot escape yourself. The words you speak and the thoughts you think will not leave you, which makes it that much more important to be kind to yourself. I cannot guarantee how happy you will become if you choose to be kind to yourself,, but I can tell you is that it is worth trying.