Be kind.

Hi there,

I’m Kristyn Howell. You may remember be from previous blogs like “Kristyn’s Organizational Behaviour.”

I’ve decided to change ideas… organization was getting to be too much of a chore to blog about, so I’ve created “Kristyn’s favourite things” to share my favourite things with all you guys out there.

So, here goes!

One of my favourite things is Kindness. I think it’s extremely underrated. Going out of you way to do something, or say something genuine to/for someone can really do a lot – in ways you least expected. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m naturally kind at heart, or if I’m addicted to the feeling of seeing someone’s reaction – maybe it’s both of these things that make the act of kindness one of my favourite things.

Of course there’s a hundred ways to be kind – typical ones like buying someone a drink, or bringing them tea when they’re sick, or giving someone a compliment – but there are so many other ways to be kind that people wouldn’t normally do.

Here’s 4 ways (that you might not have thought of) to be kind:

1) Send a teacher a message (email, letter, etc., or tell them in person) of gratitude, and how much you appreciate what they’re doing for you.

Teachers really are under appreciated – whether they teach elementary, middle, high school, or university, teachers do so much more than just teach you required knowledge. Think about it – they spend their time planning ways to explain difficult concepts to you, they mark your work, they make themselves available to you if you need extra help. Teachers deserve more expressions of thanks and gratitude than anyone. Without them, most of us wouldn’t be where we are today.

2) Talk to a person (at a party, event, in class, etc.) who’s shy, or has trouble being social.

Whenever I’m in a situation like this, my heart breaks for that person who’s uncomfortable or shy. I used to be that person – the wallflower, who would rather run a marathon in the desert, than be social. I think that’s why I’m more open to doing this. I know what it’s like to feel shy, or nervous, or uncomfortable around other people, and it sucks. If you see someone like this, go over and talk to them. Everyone has a story – sometimes it only takes a few words to unlock it. You’ll make someone feel so much better.

3) When you’re listening to someone, listen with compassion, concern, show interest and most importantly – listen with your eyes.

There’s nothing worse than talking to someone, whether it be about something important, upsetting, or a great story, who really isn’t listening. When I say that, I’m not talking about someone who’s preoccupied by their phone, or the TV, or whatever is going on around them, I’m talking about someone who’s listening to you, giving you their undivided attention, but not understanding how you feel. It’s kind of like those bad interviews you see on TV, where the journalist is asking the interviewee questions, but completely missing the answers and just carrying on with their interview. Completely disconnected. Always listen with your eyes. And by that, I mean listen to someone – but pay attention to their body language, their facial expressions and the tone of their voice. That will tell you how they really feel about what their saying, or what their not saying.

4) If you notice a coin laying heads up on the ground, flip it over to the tails side, so that another supersitious person can have a day of luck.

I’m a superstitious person. If I walk over someone who’s laying on the floor, I have to walk back over them so that they won’t stop growing. I don’t walk under ladders. I’m careful with mirrors. If I kill a spider, I will prepare for rain. Those things. I’m the kind of person who makes a wish on “Starlight, Starbright” whenever I can. I always pick up pennies if they are heads up, and keep them in my shoe. BUT, the coin/penny is only lucky if it’s TAILS UP. If it’s heads up, no luck. One time, I emptied out one of my pairs of shoes and counted 7 pennies. What can I say, I believe in luck. So, if you see a coin or a penny on the street, and it’s heads up, flip it over to the tails side. There’s 750 000+ people in Winnipeg – there’ll be another superstitious person out there who will pick it up, and have a lucky day, all thanks to you.

I wish all of you a great weekend!

Be kind,

Kristyn