Kindness Challenge Week 3
Kind Energy
This week of the Kindness Challenge we were to think kind thoughts and act/react with kindness. I found that I can act with kindness pretty easily but less so in reacting. I see someone that needs something I usually will do what I can to help. Not always but usually. Reacting with kindness is a bit more difficult. I tend to react quickly without thought. I have a temper that I control quite well. Or so I thought. I learned that I may not “lose” my temper but I do shut down and turn away if something isn’t going the way I think it should. This surprised me. Not very kind! That brings me to the thinking kind thoughts.
Well, seems it’s the temper thing again. Maybe it was just an off week? I had to work at thinking kindly. Not all the time but there were a couple of times when my first thoughts were not kind and I had to change the way I was thinking before I could respond in a kind way.
So where does this leave me? I think I am basically kind but need to be more conscious of my thought patterns. This week’s challenge has made me aware that I am less kind than I thought I was. Not so much unkind as insensitive. This week was a good wake up call.
Patricia's Place 
I think we could just write these posts together! This is so much me too, I think kind thoughts, but I definitely don’t always react with kindness, like you I tend to turn away or block someone out if I am upset, or just retreat to my cave and stay there awhile. I really need to work on having a more compassionate attitude toward others, and not being so judgmental and quick to become annoyed!!
Judgemental. I never thought that was a problem of mine but I have learned I am very judgemental and still have some ways to go.
I learned to be more aware of my unkind, uncharitable thoughts as I became more aware of other people’s, and deciding I didn’t want to be like that. The good news is that like anything else you want to become second nature to you — driving, swinging a golf club, singing, living without junk food, almost anything, really — the more you practice, the easier it becomes. If you keep practicing being aware of how you react and controlling how you respond so that you are acting and reacting in a kind way,
eventually it IS your nature.
My goal is to be active and not reactive. It is a challenge. I am old and somewhat set in my ways but not so old that I am stuck there. 🙂
I’m curious — how old do you think “old” is?
Well, I am not young or elderly but past middle age so I guess I am old in years. However, I think there is a lot more to life then the years we have lived.
Definitely. And for as many years as I might age, I will always be 19. My joins won’t, but my mind will. 🙂
I think I am more like 25-30. I was really dumb at 19.
Lol! I’m not saying I was particularly smart at 19, but it was a carefree time and I was finally getting a sense of who I was and could be.
Thank you for your honesty in this reflection post Patricia. I was wondering if anyone would experience this situation this week. Acting out of kindness can be a little easier, you’re conscious, have an intention and you go with it. Reacting is a bit more tricky, almost depends on what emotion is driving the autopilot. That makes me think of the Pixar movie Inside Out (if you haven’t seen it, it’s GREAT!). I think that being aware of this will help you in the future. You’re right, it’s not about being unkind, it’s just you weren’t aware of it. Now that you are, you can put conscious effort into reacting from a place of kindness. With practice you will see your reactions start to align with your actions. I hope this week brings lots of kindness your way! Thanks for participating! 🙂
The Kindness Challenge has been interesting and enlightening and—challenging. I am trying to be more active and less reactive. It’s been tricky at times.