“Witnessing acts of kindness produces oxytocin which increases our self-esteem and optimism, which is extra helpful when we’re anxious.” The Random Acts of Kindness organization – randomactsofkindness.org – provides additional research examples that show the benefits of performing acts of kindness with people. Here’s another example from them:
“Stephen Post of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found that when we give of ourselves, everything from life satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly improved. Mortality is delayed, depression is reduced, and well-being and good fortune are increased.”
The phrase “practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty” was written by Anne Herbert in 1982. She is credited with starting the random acts of kindness movement by the authors of the book Random Acts of Kindness which was published in1993 by Conari Press.
The key ingredients in a random act of kindness are that it is being done spontaneously, without the thought of receiving anything in return. And we are seeing countless acts of this kind all over the world as individuals deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The idea of acting kind is not some squishy do-gooder way of looking at life. It is a way of life that has become a global movement.
The Australian Kindness Movement – www.kindness.org/au – provides information about the World Kindness Movement that was formed during a conference in Tokyo in 1997 hosted by the Small Kindness Movement of Japan. The ‘declaration of kindness’, signed by representatives of the countries present at the 1997 conference, reads as follows:
“In acknowledgment of the fundamental importance of simple human kindness as a basic condition of a satisfying and meaningful life, we hereby declare the establishment of the World Kindness Movement.”
The Kindness Organization concludes with the following, “Kindness is a ‘heart to heart’ communication, an experience that many people hunger for. Mother Teresa pointed out that ‘there is hunger for ordinary bread, and there is hunger for love, for kindness, for thoughtfulness; and this is the great poverty that makes people suffer so much’. As the reality of being kinder to each other spreads throughout the world under the auspices of the World Kindness Movement and other kindness organizations, the character of people will change to express a more friendly and positive relationship. The heightened sense of relating to others will help dissipate the meanness created by our competitive, greedy, and materialistic society.”
In conclusion, if you are currently or decide in the future to open yourself to the power of a brief, spontaneous act of kindness as those opportunities present themselves to you, that way of acting has the potential to help you, the recipient and those who witness the random act of kindness to feel better and possibly be healthier.