5 Ways of Being Kinder Today
I think of each day as a clean canvas. Fresh paint. Bright colors. Creating the life I want with each stroke I take. All the bad things are left behind. But so are the good ones. So whatever it is I want my life to be today - I have to paint it from scratch.
Today I know I want to be Kind. These are some simple (but not always easy) things that help me do that:
1. Get sleep
This is the hardest one for me. I just get too excited about life! My brain usually thinks (surprise!) it is a good idea to sleep less and do more... Until it hits the wall. And then my brain is like: "Peace! See ya!" I really should know better than that by now, but I still get tricked. Lack of sleep for me means loss of creativity, physical discomfort, skewed perception of reality (usually not in my favor), chasing coffee and rushing to get through the day so I can get to bed already. I want to be living in now. I want to be excited and fully present. And I just have to accept the fact that I need to be Kind to myself and rest. Lets say I'm working on it:).
“The first rule of kindness is to be Kind to yourself.”
2. Meditate
Meditation literary makes you Kinder. Monks knew it thousands of years ago and science is finally catching up. Take 5, or 10 min, or 2 hours. Just start somewhere. Regular meditation was one of my resolutions for 2017 and I can tell you it is paying off. I find sanctuary in my own body. I find peace, comfort, safety, wisdom, love... All of those things were in there all along, I just never stopped long enough to notice. My mind gets so busy sometimes... Well all the time actually. And meditation is like an antidote, going back to the roots, looking within, being fully present inside my body instead of my head. It makes me more loving to self and others, more patient. More Kind.
3. Nourish my body
We are what we eat. No way getting around that. Eating foods that nourish and heal my body is an act of kindness, self-respect and self-love. Have you ever thought of how amazing our bodies are? All the things we put them through, all the work they do for us, and they still put up with it? Our lungs inhale and exhale about 23,000 times a day! Our hearts beat about 115,000 times per day! Do we ever stop, listen and say "Thank you"? I actually just did.
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.”
4. Get lost in nature
Lifesaver. However big my problems may appear, however overwhelmed I may feel, nature is my true healer. I have yet to go on a trail run or a mountain hike that didn't clear my mind, and enabled me to see beauty of life despite the pain or sadness. The wilder the better. Top it off with the sunset and some good music. How beautiful is this?
Realizing how small me and my issues really are is so humbling. It gives me perspective. It helps me get out of me head. Be less selfish and more compassionate to others.
5. DO talk to strangers
This is my favorite. People are such interesting beings. If you take time to see them, not just notice, but actually see. Homeless people are the coolest of course, because they usually have a pretty good story and don't care about what you think about it. But I guess regular people would do too...
I talked to this homeless guy at the gas-station this morning. His name was Ticket. He just got our of jail and got a job. He insisted on rapping for me. While I was fueling up... AT 7:30 IN THE MORNING!!! hahaha.. Well of course I said yes!! And it was awesome! He was actually really freaking good, and smart and witty, and humble. Much better than most of degrading stuff they play on the radio these days. It was about politics, and social change, and hope. It gave me Hope. He said he was from Milwaukee, WI.
And than he goes: "You must be from Tennessee."
Im like: "No buddy, you are waayyy of."
And he goes: "Well... you are the only ten I see!"
Made my day.
I still don't know why I loved that guy so much. May be its just comforting to know that we are not as alone in this world as it may seem sometimes. Simple genuine person-to-person connection is just one smile away. Be Kind and share your Light.
Love,
Krystyna
