I recently listened to Oprah’s podcast: SuperSoul Conversations called Braving New Worlds with Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling. The 44-minute podcast is filled with moments I wanted to stop and turn to a friend and say, “What do you think about that?”
One question that stuck with me was “What will you speak up for?” They were addressing the #MeToo movement and Reese Witherspoon’s contribution to the Times Up campaign to help pay legal bills for women who have been abused and can afford to pay.
It made me ask myself, “What would I speak up for?” There are many issues that are important to me. And in the past 13 months, I have found myself speaking up and out more often. The underlying force that keeps coming back to me as I think about what is important is kindness. This is how I define kindness.
Compassion + Action = Kindness
Compassion is necessary to notice what the other person needs not what I want to give.
Action is necessary so it is not just “feeling bad” for another person.
Kindness is the combination of both of those things working together.
Now I know there will never be a Kindness March. It is not something about which we get all worked up. But it is absolutely necessary in relationships at work, in our neighborhood, with strangers, and in our friendships and family – and in our civic conversations!
For kindness to happen, someone must be truly seen and someone else must be doing the seeing.
For kindness to happen, one must slow down to discern the action that is desired in that moment.
For kindness to happen, one must take a risk and act.
See? The act of kindness is not as simple and tame as some may think. It is an act which requires courage.
So…kindness is what I speak up for when I see it or when I see the need for it. And yeah, when other important issues need to be raised I will be there – with compassion and action.
Take a listen to the entire podcast and then let me know what you would speak up for?
One question that stuck with me was “What will you speak up for?” They were addressing the #MeToo movement and Reese Witherspoon’s contribution to the Times Up campaign to help pay legal bills for women who have been abused and can afford to pay.
It made me ask myself, “What would I speak up for?” There are many issues that are important to me. And in the past 13 months, I have found myself speaking up and out more often. The underlying force that keeps coming back to me as I think about what is important is kindness. This is how I define kindness.
Compassion + Action = Kindness
Compassion is necessary to notice what the other person needs not what I want to give.
Action is necessary so it is not just “feeling bad” for another person.
Kindness is the combination of both of those things working together.
Now I know there will never be a Kindness March. It is not something about which we get all worked up. But it is absolutely necessary in relationships at work, in our neighborhood, with strangers, and in our friendships and family – and in our civic conversations!
For kindness to happen, someone must be truly seen and someone else must be doing the seeing.
For kindness to happen, one must slow down to discern the action that is desired in that moment.
For kindness to happen, one must take a risk and act.
See? The act of kindness is not as simple and tame as some may think. It is an act which requires courage.
So…kindness is what I speak up for when I see it or when I see the need for it. And yeah, when other important issues need to be raised I will be there – with compassion and action.
Take a listen to the entire podcast and then let me know what you would speak up for?
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