My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.”
― Dalai Lama XIV
I think that single sentence is one that I will never forget. The first time I heard it I was deeply touched. This reminds me of a friend I once met on a friendship site a few years ago. A group of us used to ask questions and then everyone answered them and the answers would come into your inbox. It was a fun way to learn about them and we all enjoyed this. I answered many questions such as, what was the best holiday destination and so on? Then I asked the question, If you could bring one person back to life who had passed away who would it be and why? I was expecting the usual answers, their parents, granny, uncle and so on. I had to start it off by answering the question first so I said my little dog Suki. I waited patiently for my answers to come through and so they did, all the grannies, aunties and friends and even Elvis was mentioned. Then my friend Shen’s reply came and he answered Suki! He would choose her. I sat there in silence for what seemed to be a long time and tears filled my eyes. I could not believe he would have said that. What a kind thing to say. It would have never entered my head to think of what someone else would want and I was too busy with my own wants. His answer has always stuck in my head and made me see how selfless some people are, they automatically think of others before themselves.
Both the quote by the Dalai Lama and the kind comment from my friend Shen are examples of how I would love to be. I strive to be a better person every day. After all being kind is not difficult but it is easy to forget and even be unkind when we are angry or upset.
Kindness
Like roses in a garden,
Kindness fills the air
With a certain bit of sweetness
As it touches everywhere
Helen Steiner Rice
Right here, right now, I want to practice kindness and saying kind words whenever I am confronted with any situation. It doesn’t cost me anything to be kind to people and kind to myself is just as important.
x niki
copyright NJTurner 2016
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
― Mother Teresa
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