Loving Kind: Putting Others First

Love is a big word. It encompasses the feeling you with God, within romantic relationships, for your parents, your child, husband, wife, love for your dog, your favorite ice-cream, and when you enjoy an experience so much that you “just love it!”. In many relationships where there is love, there is also hate. A kind person focuses on seeing what they love rather than focusing on what they hate.

It is easy to be loving when people are nice. We often are very loving to our family and friends—but the people who take advantage of us or are rude and inconsiderate are more of a challenge. The hardest loving kind of task is to love the unkind, or the haters. This are the people who are difficult, who insult, are rude, and who you want to run the other way from rather than counter their rudeness with loving statements and actions.

One of the easiest ways to commit to being loving and kind is to always choose to love. Try using your smile on everyone you meet during the day, greet others with sincerity and warmth, think of thoughtful ways you can do things for another person, speak gingerly on sensitive matters, and give more hugs. Being a loving kind of person is being thoughtful when people are going through a difficult time, listening, affirming with words, or being supportive in other ways. It is choosing to always speak well of others, countering negative talk and gossip about others. It is being welcoming, inclusive, and excited to see someone, grateful they exist and appreciating their good qualities.

Kindness is love in action by having empathy and consideration for another person and acting upon it. We all can do this, even if it is in a small way. Notice people who could use extra kindness especially this month. You might pick a certain person and see what you can do over a certain amount of time. See how your kindness affects them. One of the easiest ways is in how we speak. Sincere compliments and words of kindness are rare. Notice who may need kind words and speak them. How many times do you catch yourself speaking hatefully? Speak only of the positive about anything and be generous in what you have to say about others.

Most of all, loving others means putting others first. Bring a smile on their face. When you love another person by considering their wants, feelings, and needs as a priority, you are being loving and the kind of person others want to be around. Practice kindness by loving this way to all you meet. You will increase in humbleness and you will see that you are loving people with your kindness without even trying.

When you love, it comes back to you in some way! It’s always worth being a loving kind of person—and run toward kindness as fast as you can!

—Clean Up Dallas with Culture and Kindness
@cultureofkind