Kindness Is The New Cool

It's not that I look to Lady Gaga for guidance on anything other than music. Still, late last year, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the superstar said something simultaneously evident and powerful: “Kindness heals the world. It's what brings us together – it's what keeps us healthy.” With apologies to the Beatles, kindness is all ya need. These days, in particular, I think we hunger for it.

Alas, acts of kindness don’t always spring forth organically. The Atlantic published an online essay a few months ago headlined “America's Epidemic of Unkindness.” We live in a world where it's easy to be disconnected and ask, “What’s in it for me?” We are sometimes quick to judge, have bad behavior, and are unkind.

Kindness is defined as being friendly, generous, and considerate. Affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care are words associated with kindness. While kindness has a connotation of meaning someone is naive or weak, that is not the case. Being kind often requires courage and strength.

It’s not about saying to people, “You should be nice.” That’s superficial. It's about understanding what leads to positive social interaction.

So, for now, practice Aesop, the ancient Greek storyteller who once said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” If random acts of kindness don’t come quickly, try this challenge: do one small, kind thing each day for someone.