2016 was a crazy year – I’m sure most people would agree. There were so many things going on in the world, and we were bombarded by negativity and hatred everywhere. 2016 brought a lot to light for me, both negative and positive. But because of all of the bad that happened in 2016, I have one wish for the world in 2017, and I think we can do it if we all work together. My wish for the world in 2017 is kindness. It’s simple really. Kindness is not a difficult concept, especially because there are so many ways we can be kind to one another. Here are a few changes we can make to be kinder to one another in 2017 (and forever after that).
Respect the Environment
Whether it’s separating all of your garbage into paper recycling, plastic recycling, and trash or buying clothing to help save the elephants around the world (which I highly recommend), everyone around the world should be kind to the environment. And not just the environment in which you live, but the environment in which other people live as well. We need to start thinking of the consequences of our actions on a global scale rather than the selfish view of “How will this affect me?” If you need more ideas about respecting the global environment, you can go to savetheearth.org, and there are plenty of other organizations, like theelephantpants.com, where you can buy things for which the proceeds go to save parts of the environment.
Be Understanding
One of the things people rarely do now is try to understand other people. For the world to be kinder place, we need to try to understand what people mean, where they are coming, and that not everything someone does is negative. If we become more understanding of others, we become kinder because we have taken the time and effort to see a situation from the other person’s perspective. Yes, kindness is a two-way street, but you can pave the way.
Don’t Take Everything Personally
Part of being understanding is knowing that not everything other people do is meant to hurt you in some way. And even when you are hurt, expressing yourself will ensure that you will not be hurt in that way again. One of the main downfalls of humanity, especially in America, is that we do not express ourselves properly. Rather than expecting people to “know” that they hurt us, we need to tell them that they did and how they did and why it hurt because how can we expect anything to get better if everyone thinks everything is fine? Start the kindness in your relationships by not taking everything personally and be expressive if something really does hurt you. It will make the world a kinder place.
Think Before You Say or Act
This one is pretty self-explanatory because we’ve heard it before. Thinking before you say or do something can spare a lot of pain or discomfort. If we all take a few seconds to see how a situation might turn sour if we were to say or do something, we could save ourselves the trouble of that uncomfortable situation and be kind instead.
Be Positive
This goes along with not taking everything personally. We need to start thinking of people with the best intentions rather than thinking that everyone is out to hurt us. We have become a very sensitive society, and we need to start looking at the positive sides of situations before we jump to negative conclusions. Being positive will lead to kindness because if we think of people as having good intentions, we’re being kind to them, making them more likely to be kind to us.
Smile at Strangers
People find this uncomfortable, but I do it all the time. Smiling is not hard; it’s actually really good for you. You never know what someone else could be going through at any given moment, and maybe your smile is the one good part of their day. Doesn’t that make you feel good? Doesn’t it make you want to spread this simple kindness? Smile at strangers to show them that you acknowledge them as a person and that you are kind despite not knowing them. Trust me, it’s not hard at all.
Be Aware of World Politics
One of the best ways to be kind on a global scale is to be aware of what is going on in the rest of the world rather than focusing on your country. Knowing how other countries are being affected and what other countries are dealing with can help you spread awareness of these issues and maybe even advocate for helping the people in struggling countries. It doesn’t take a lot to know what is going on in other places, and it is a kindness that will help people in other countries to live with the same opportunities we have here in America.
Treat Everyone the Way You Want Them to Treat You
We teach this to Kindergarteners, so why are we still struggling with it ourselves? We should be treating other people, whether we know them or not, the way we want to be treated all the time. No matter what. Everyone is different, so there is no reason that someone should be treated less than someone else. We are all humans, and we all deserve the same amount of respect from one another. Think about the kind of world we would live in right now if every single person followed this rule all the time. It seems like it would be pretty great to me. So be kind by treating everyone the way you want them to treat you. We will be much better for it.
Accept People for Who They Are
This is a huge one. There is absolutely no reason that anyone should ever be treated as less than because of their differences. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, straight, transgender, queer, black, white, Latinx, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Native American, Asian, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, anything. It. Does. Not. Matter. Everyone should be accepted for who they are. Everyone. This is a huge kindness you can show to anyone. Accepting others for who they are is one of the kindest things you can do for someone. We need to start doing this now. Everyone.
As you can see, there are quite a few ways we can be kind to one another, and all of these things, if done properly and consistently, can have a global impact. It’s time to stop dealing with what we are given and start making changes to make this world a better place. We need to get rid of the hate and the prejudice and the negativity, and this starts with you. So please, be kind to everyone you meet regardless of gender, skin color, sexual orientation, political beliefs, ethnicity, or any sort of differences. It is worth it. It is the right thing to do. Please, make a change to your New Year’s Resolution for 2017: be kind.
