The Cost of Kindness
I will be positive, I will be positive. I will be positive, after all, I call these musings, PCT's- Positive CJ Thoughts. I will be positive.
First things first, I've finally typed the words "The End", on my work in progress. There will be much of it left on the cutting room floor with the edits and it will need it. I have a ton of work to do on it before it is fit for consumption but the 'bones' are there, I just need to see what muscle, sinew and flesh, will need to fill out the entire body to make it whole.
Secondly, my eight year old nephew decided that we needed to write a book together. I think I better understand why my editor and my 'Yoda' likely pulled their hair out trying to get me to change my mind. I hope I was easier to reason with than he is as we write "Finding Backward Land."
Now with those two things making me smile. I'll find some Positive CJ Thoughts that will just maybe make your day a little better. In the horrific tragedy of Parkland, there has been an encouraging sign of life in a generation that I am very fearful for. They've sparked a movement with their refusal to sit quietly, mourn and go back to class. We can only side with Emma Gonzalez and call B.S. on being told guns aren't the problem.
Never Again MSD is leading to a March on Washington advocating gun control. I have such hope that someone like Emma will make a difference.
My main point to today's PCT's willy revolve around this…BE KIND, in all things, be kind. It doesn't cost a thing and more than likely the rewards that come back ten-fold. I saw a meme today. It had five points to it.
1. Love yourself. Now to be honest, this one is harder than you can imagine. Our nature is to be so incredibly critical of ourselves. I know I struggle. The point is, love yourself and work hard to like yourself too.
2. Do good. Why is this so hard for so many people? Why is it hard for us to make the choice to do good in all things? If we all committed to do good, how much better would the world be?
3. Always forgive. I won't lie. This one is probably the hardest one of all for me. When someone hurts me or someone I love, I have a difficult time letting that go. I work on it, daily.
4. Harm No One. My whole adult life has been about public service, fixing what was wrong, stopping what was bleeding, extinguishing what was on fire. We need to remember that words can often harm just a much as force as a blow.
5. Be positive. Good Lord I try. I'm not going to try to be a Pollyanna, but I do try to look at as many things as possible from the glass half full perspective. I try to offer positive reinforcement to those around me because I believe when we can't see that silver lining for ourselves, we need someone to turn on the light.
In all those things I've listed, they can be summed up in kindness, for ourselves, for others and even for those who don't seem to deserve it. Kindness in loving ourselves when we feel we aren't deserving. Kindness in doing good in the world when it seems there is so much bad. Kindness in forgiving ourselves and others if at all possible. Kindness in our decision to harm no one in action, words or deed and kindness in our resolve to be positive in the face of a world chock full of negativity.
We must laugh so much more than we cry. I look around at the people I interact with and wonder, am I giving back more than I'm taking? There are friends in my life struggling with actual life and death situations with their health, I have others struggling with life changing decisions in their professional and personal lives. I try to do all I can to be there to lean on, to carry the load and to listen twice as much as I offer advice.
So be kind, be kind to yourself, others, our environment, and those who might never have experienced it. What will it cost? Nothing, nothing at all.
If you're feeling kind, then I hope you will take a chance and check out my book, 'frame by frame' at all the usual suspects and give me a shout out if you liked it. If you didn't, then I can only hope you will remember my words...Be kind. :)
