Latest / Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic / 57: Monday Moment: What Would Kindness Do?

Transcript

57: Monday Moment: What Would Kindness Do? · Banish the Lies: Outsmart Your Inner Critic

• 0:00
  Happy Monday.
• 0:02
  The other day, a Facebook memory popped up on my phone.
• 0:07
  It was from a couple years ago, and in that post, I described how I was rushing out the door for an appointment when I noticed a patio cushion that had blown off of one of the neighbor's balconies.
• 0:18
  My first thought was,"I should really figure out where that belongs and put it back." But then my second thought was,"I'm already running late.
• 0:27
  This is only gonna make me later." And then for some reason, another question popped into my head: What would kindness do?
• 0:35
  So I decided to answer that question and ended up walking around until I figured out which patio the cushion belonged to.
• 0:43
  As I stepped onto the balcony to put it back, I noticed the design on the pillow for the first time.
• 0:50
  There was a little bee buzzing around the top of the pillow, and underneath in beautiful script were just two words,"Be kind." I actually laughed out loud because it felt like a little wink from the universe, as well as a confirmation that this whole question of asking,"What would kindness do?" might actually be something worth paying attention to.
• 1:14
  And as I thought about that memory today, I realized how different my day might have looked if I'd remembered to ask that question more often.
• 1:23
  This morning, I hit the snooze button twice, and as I dragged myself out of bed, the self-criticism started almost immediately.
• 1:32
  I started chastising myself for not having enough discipline to get up earlier.
• 1:37
  In that moment, I wonder how I might have spoken to myself if I had stopped to ask,"What would kindness do?" And then a little later, I had a run-in with a moody teenager.
• 1:48
  I won't name names.
• 1:51
  But again, I am pretty sure I would have responded differently if I'd paused and asked that same question.
• 1:58
  And then I opened my inbox and found an email from a rather impatient, somewhat rude individual, who will also remain nameless, and once again, I think I would have reacted differently or at least written a different reply if kindness had led the way.
• 2:15
  Now, I wanna be really clear.
• 2:18
  Kindness is not about being a doormat, and it isn't about having no boundaries.
• 2:23
  Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself and for someone else is to set a boundary.
• 2:30
  But setting a boundary with a heart of kindness feels very different from reacting out of frustration or anger or hurt.
• 2:39
  So here's my invitation for today.
• 2:42
  As you go through your day, the next time life gives you an opportunity to react, because you know it will, pause for just a moment and ask yourself,"What would kindness do?" And then see what happens.
• 2:57
  And if you'd like to share what you notice, there's a link in the episode description where you can send me a message.
• 3:02
  I would love to hear from you.
• 3:05
  Have a beautiful day