Kindness is a really deep word. So deep that we humans can never fully comprehend what it takes to be “Kind”. Kindness covers so many other attributes that we typically don’t associate with it.

• A kind person is a honest person.
• A kind person is fair and just in their judgement
• A kind person honors their word and wouldn’t deliberately disappoint those who trust them.
• A kind person is quick to forgive because they know being unforgiving will bring suffering to those who hurt them.
• A kind person apologizes deeply for their wrongs because even a kind person can make mistakes. He/ she’s still human you know.
• A kind person speaks up for those who can’t speak for themselves and shows strong support to those who can’t support themselves.
• A kind person looks out for the good in others.

A kind person always has work to do because kindness can be a full time job. There’s always someone or something in need of your kindness.

Kindness goes so deep that if a human were to embody it 24/7 they’ll probably never have a moment of free time or a single penny left in their bank account.

Kindness is so huge a responsibility that we humans can never really have it 100%. Why?

Humans feel fatigue.

We get tired; we lose motivation. We get discouraged. Beyond these, we all have our own issues and needs that may distract us or make us mentally/ emotionally unavailable to express true kindness every single time.

To fully embody kindness 24/7 would be like trying to compete with God for His role. But we DO need to keep trying. Kindness remains one of those traits— just like humility— that we can only keep aspiring to and keep working at being.

It is an ongoing effort.

A person may do great acts of kindness today and then follow up with unkindness or indifference the very next day. Or even, the very next minute.

It takes commitment to be Kind. But we also need to remember that kindness begins from within.

Remember to be kind to yourself. Because showing kindness to others without being kind to yourself is the greatest form of unkindness.

Kindness is the bedrock of righteousness.

The effects of kindness has such a strong ripple effect beyond what we can imagine. A simple act of kindness to one can inspire many to be kind and the one who received such kindness may become even more motivated to show kindness to others.

One of the reasons why people become unkind is because they have gone through so much unkindness or grew up in an unkind environment.

Most crimes committed in the world are called crimes because they are acts of unkindness that ended up causing hurt to someone or people.

If there’s one thing that needs to be dominant in prisons and rehabilitation centres, that thing would be kindness— reforming these minds by showing them what kindness really means.

We can reform these kinds of people not by total condemnation but by simple acts of kindness done repeatedly and consistently.

Kindness is a builder and a reformer. We can build truly great communities when we make kindness a bedrock for our actions.

🧡

— Olajumoke Ola