I don’t know about you, but I am physically and emotionally exhausted from the last few days.  We said goodbye to one president and swore in a new one.  And then we Marched.  We stood up for individuals’ rights across the nation.

My social media has been a battle ground.  People are bullying their friends and families because they don’t share the same belief system.  But that my friends, is what makes our country so special.  We have the FREEDOM to believe what we see as the truth.

My post for Mindful Monday will not be long today as I know everyone is exhausted from reading news stories, scrolling through feeds and worrying if they have offended anyone else that they care about.  But I wanted to just say one thing.

Be Kind.

You don’t have to like someone’s beliefs to show them respect or be kind to them.  We are all taking this election very personal (and for many of us it is) but lets remember that above everything else, we are still human beings.

Ways you can show kindness this week

1. Hold a door for someone
2. Leave a post-it on the work bathroom mirror that says a positive quote, even a simple “Smile, You are Beautiful”
3. Text the family members or friends that you may have distanced yourself from over the election and let them know you are thinking about them.
4. Take a walk, holding your head high, make eye contact and smile at others. Greet them. Make them feel seen.
5. Pay for the car behind you in the drive thru line as you grab your coffee in the morning
6. Leave a note on a friends car (telling them to have a great week)
7. Acknowledge the gap between you and those you love and be the one who makes the first attempt to reconnect
8. Buy little chocolates and leave them on your co-workers desks anonymously
9. Volunteer your time to help out in a way that you feel is important
10. Help an elderly person that you may see trying to load their groceries or any task that may be causing them difficulty
11. Tell a worn out mother who is shuffling through the store with her screaming toddlers that she is in fact doing a good job.
12. Leave extra tip money for your waitress with a simple 🙂 on a napkin.
13. Tell someone their outfit makes them look great!
14. Allow someone to go in front of you in the cashier line
15. The same goes for in traffic, drive mindfully, allowing pedestrians to pass, cars to merge into your lane
16. Call a friend who may be disabled or who may just be going through a hard time and offer to help them clean their home, cook them a dinner or offer to go shopping for them, even a simple errand could be so helpful
17. Does it snow where you live?  Shovel the neighbor’s walkway
18. Make small talk with those around you
19. Smile at people, lighten the mood. Tell a tasteful joke
20. Offer to babysit your friend’s children so her and her husband can have a date that they both have been longing for
21. Take all of the old books on your shelfs and begin a book exchange at work. Designate the break room corner as the place for books to be donated & read and shared again
22. Offer your seat to someone in the subway/metro
23. Bake brownies, cookies or something homemade and leave it in the break room at work or take it to your child’s teacher at school for them to share with the other teachers.
24. Use your manners.  Say Please and thank you!
25. Have children?  Model kindness for them and do a project together where you are helping others
26. Take all of the clothing that does not get used to the thrift store or agency that helps families in need
27. Buy a bag of fruit and bottled water and give it to a homeless person
28. See a funny video or have a funny story? Share it with those around you. It can be contagious.
29. Listen when others talk.  Really listen when others talk instead of planning what you will say next
30. When becoming frustrated with someone, try putting yourself in their shoes.  Empathy often times leads to an act of kindness
31. Wipe down the gym equipment after each use (yes this should be every. single. time. but many people don’t) The person behind you will be grateful.
32. Approach someone who looks lonely or shy at lunchtime and ask them how their day is
33. Buy or make a greeting card for someone in your life and write a personal message
34. Put your devices away and sit and play a card game with your friend, family or loved ones. (A simple game can turn into laughter)
35. Be Kind to yourself.  No bullying, No dissing, No threats, No name calling. Treat yourself as if you were a small child. Gentle & with compassion.
36. Do not Litter. Please.  And if you see something that belongs in the trash laying on the ground, take a moment and put it in the trash.  This makes the world a better place for everyone.
37. Say I love you to those around you.  I have never gotten an I Love You from someone and not appreciated their words.

What are ways that you can show kindness this week?

As always, Much Metta

Kelly