“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”  –Dalai Lama

Have you ever thought about the true power of kindness? We’ve seen movements like random acts of kindness and pay it forward gain momentum because people realize we are all part of this crazy experiment called humanity and that kindness makes everything better. When a stranger holds a door open for you longer than you expected. When someone lets you into their lane during rush hour on the freeway. When someone helps you with directions when you’re lost. The world feels like a nicer, more beautiful place.

Kindness makes us feel less alone in the world. Gives us new eyes to see each other. And like the view after jumping out of a plane, makes the things we seem to argue about seem tiny and minute in perspective.

I’ve seen kindness diffuse potentially volatile situations. I’ve heard of kindness preventing people from committing suicide. And I’ve read that kindness is one of the most important qualities to emulate when having hard discussions with people you love.

Kindness does not require grand gestures. It is born of humility, the patience to see others, and little else.

And the funny way that kindness operates in the world is that when you give it away, you feel like you won the lottery. When you make someone else feel good, you feel good. There’s no downside.

There isn’t anything ground breaking or earth shattering about this concept (or this post). It’s simple and even a little mundane. A call to kindness. Start with yourself (sometimes the hardest) and then see how it trickles out to the interactions around you. I know I want to live in a kinder world, and I believe we can.

[Photo: Skydiving over the Remarkables mountains in New Zealand]