“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Pearls of Wisdom

Being raised in the south I grew up listening to local farmers give their pearls of wisdom to anyone willing to listen. Most of the time when I heard these “old timers” sit on the front stoop of the local country store I would simply be amazed at the simplicity of their observations and how profound their words actually proved to be. I could go on for quite some time repeating the ones that have had an impact on me. One that I was recently reminded of is “rain makes rain”.

Kindness Breeds Kindness

The general feeling behind the adage is that once it starts to rain it becomes easier for subsequent rain to follow. Scientifically, I’m not sure how accurate it is, but the principal does play out well in other aspects of our daily lives. This is especially true when it comes to creating positive working environments and relationships. A simple act of kindness has the potential impact of causing a follow-on act of kindness.

Benefits of Kindness and Positivity

According to the Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org/positive-thinking) positive thinking has the potential to:

1. Increase life span
2. Lower rates of depression
3. Lower levels of distress and pain
4. Increase resistance to illnesses
5. Improve psychological and physical well-being
6. Improve cardiovascular health and reduce risk of death from cardiovascular disease / stroke
7. Reduce risk of death from cancer
8. Reduce risk of death from respiratory conditions
9. Reduce risk of death from infections
10. Improve coping skills during hardships and times of stress

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to acknowledge when someone does something nice for you. When you slow down and take the time to show appreciation as those moments of “niceness” occur it certainly has the potential of watering the garden of kindness.

No Rainbows and Butterflies

I’m not suggesting that simply being positive produces a magical environment in which everything becomes rainbows and butterflies.  Bad things still happen.  Negativity will always be in the world.  Negativity is still a reality.  What I am saying though is that when you intentionally make the effort to find the good in a situation and go out of your way to say something positive about something or someone, it makes it easier for someone else to find the good and maybe say something positive about you.

Energy Draining

On the opposite end of the spectrum you can rest assured that when you continually think negative thoughts and say negative things about other you will certainly breed negativity in return.  You will also become a person that nobody wants to be around.  Being around a negative person can absolutely suck the life out of a room.  When was the last time you enjoyed being around someone who constantly lived a “woo is me” life?  Did you enjoy it?

Action

Make an intentional effort to identify an act of kindness and repay that act with an expression of your appreciation.  It will not be easy but the reward will be worth it! Make it your goal to put a smile on someone’s face. Rain makes rain!

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up.” – Mark Twain