I’m sure we’ve all heard the age-old adage “Be kind” numerous times throughout our lives, but how often do you truly think about what it means? Believe it to be true? Actually put it into practice and act on it? (Be real with yourself here, no judgement.)
Are you kind to others, always?
Are you always kind to yourself?
More than just a simple & sweet sentiment, when I speak of kindness I mean it in the deepest, truest sense of the word — the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate, no matter the circumstances.
It is not a feeling, but rather an active, intentional state of being that flows from self awareness. It’s something that can be practiced and refined and strengthened by persistent, repeated actions. It’s something that ultimately needs to come from within as kindness is a voluntary characteristic; when properly cultivated, you should want to share it with every person you meet, no matter who they are or what the situation is.
Any act, big or small, can be done with kindness as it’s not even about the act itself – it’s about the approach…the attitude…the intention. It’s about reaching in and pulling out every positive, graceful, and gentle piece of your soul. It’s about exuding an aura of compassion, showing your strength of character, and amplifying happiness with no return expectations.
Being kind is choosing to believe in good (and actually *being* the good) no matter how much bad gets thrown your way.
Being kind is a gift to others…and to yourself; You should give it freely, without any expectation of it being returned or reciprocated. Give it because it’s good. Give it because it leaves the world better & happier. Give it because it’s the right thing to do.
Be sure to check out our full kindness guide for inspiration, tips, and tricks for cultivating a culture of kindness!
How To Make A Kindness Jar
And there’s no better way to commemorate all this kindness you’re giving (or receiving!) than with a DIY Kindness Jar. Whether you use it as a way to store your kind acts, choose ways you can spread kindness, remember ways you’ve received a kind gesture – or a combination of all these things – a kindness jar in any form is sure to brighten your spirit (not to mention your space).
You Will Need…
- an empty jar or vessel (recycled works great!)
- #theconfettibar confetti (obvi the best kind 😉 ); you could also use sprinkles of Emergency Confetti or Random Acts of Confetti
- small strips of paper; you can either write your own, or use this free printable as a starting point!
- OPTIONAL: pompoms, ribbon/yarn, labels/stickers, or other fun embellishments
Start with an empty jar – any recycled or repurposed jar would work great. (I’m using a recycled confetti jar!) You can embellish it with a label, stickers, or even some flair like pompoms or colorful ribbon. Make your little joyful jar your own!
Then takes some small strips of paper that include ideas & ways to be kind. To make this super easy for ya, we have a free printable, but you can also choose to write your own.
Once you have your strips ready, you can decide to either fold them up and put them in the jar so you can pick one out each time you want to perform an act of kindness.
Alternatively, you can keep the strips handy and only put them in the jar when you complete said act. It’s also fun to write down times you receive an act of kindness, and keep those in your jar as well. This way, any time you’re feeling a bit down, you can read through all the kindness you’ve received – or given – as a reminder there is still good in this world and hope to hold onto. 🙂
Each time you take or add a strip to your jar, add a sprinkle of confetti to celebrate!!
Perhaps now more than ever before it’s so easy to get distracted by social media, reality TV, streaming services, and our unlimited access to “noise” that we often forget some of the most basic objectives of humanity — to love and to be kind.
If, instead of each focusing on being stronger, faster, better, or richer, we all focused on being kinder, imagine the world we could live in. Imagine the smiles that would spread. Imagine the hearts that would hurt less. Imagine the happiness we’d all feel.
Kindness is love. Kindness is strength. Kindness is hope.
Put your kindness jar on your desk or shelf and let it be your reminder to make kindness one of your core guiding beliefs. To practice it daily. To exude it from every pore. You know, spread it…like confetti! 😉
P.S. A Kindness Jar would also make a great gift – bonus points if you gift a confetti jar and include the Kindness Strips as a bonus!
How will you choose to be kind today (and every day)?
Let’s Chat About It
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