This trend is off putting because it seems like there is a lack of compassion. I could be wrong about this, but when people film themselves giving other’s money it begs the question are they doing to help others out or are they doing it to be seen and validated? Is this behavior performative or is it coming from a place of genuine kindness? I do think that some of these creators are doing this because they want to make an impact in a positive way. But the content they are pushing is seen by young people who are impressionable. They will see this performative style of kindness and think to them selves “you know since this person just gave this person $500 dollars I think giving money will solve their problems”. It made me think is money the only way we can show kindness to others.

I recently watched a video about what kids in western countries would wish for in comparison to what kids from eastern countries would wish for. Kids in western countries usually wished for a million dollars. Whereas children in eastern nations wished for everyone to have enough food or for others to be happy and healthy. The difference in desires made me contemplate how we raise kids here versus how children are raised in other countries. It is eye opening because the wishes of these two cultures were motivated by different intentions. One intention was to have money while the other intention was hoping that others had fulfillment and happiness. This to me shows where certain motivations lie. One culture valued kindness through wishing others well and the other side wished for wealth. Does wealth allow others to be kind, or does sharing food and wishing others well with kindness show compassion? I think that to show compassion we need to try to understand others and meet them at where the other people are at. In western society something that is taught to children is to “work hard”. Working hard to many adults is working over 40 hours per week. But when you think of this is this really the kind of mentality that should be taught? Because I think that this leaves very little time to spend with loved ones or be able to pursue creative hobbies. The idea that our success is tied to our careers is also misleading. Because when a child enters the school system they are often told to stay in the same classroom. This idea prepares the children for the workplace. But I think that kids should have a place where they can explore their interests. Because when they are put into school and taught that the only thing they can contribute to society is time they burn out. This model also teaches them that life is only about money and working. It doesn’t teach them about living joyfully or with happiness. Kindness stems from being comfortable within your own skin. It also comes from the behavior being modeled by others. In this day and age I believe that kindness should be modeled in school. At the present moment the skills being taught don’t teach this fundamental knowledge.

A way that I try to teach kindness is by talking about it and then showing it. Sometimes it is hard to teach because there are a lot of patterns that I have needed to unlearn to become more kind and understanding of others and myself. In order to cultivate more understanding I have been learning about meditation. These meditations have helped me gain a better understanding of what compassion truly means in contrast to empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. Whereas compassion means to view all living beings with love. The difference between these two is one feeling stems from cultivating it through practice. Whereas the other feeling stems from this notion of being able to walk in someone else’s shoes. Both are important to life. But I have learned that the more compassion that I am share with others the easier it becomes to practice. Whereas with empathy I need to think about it and how I can implement it into my day. This practice has helped me to become more happy and healthy emotionally as a person.

In conclusion kindness has become an important component in my life. Through this blog I would like to discuss the benefits of kindness and how it has affected my everyday life. Please join me on this journey and feel free to reach out and share your thoughts on this subject. If you find these posts helpful or interesting definitely let me know! I thought of this post while I waking up this morning. It happened because I have been thinking about this subject. I hope that these lessons help others become more mindful and aware. It is important to bring awareness to subjects like kindness and empathy. Because culture is teaching us that it is easier to turn a blind eye or throw money at the issue. The use of money doesn’t make a person unkind but it does beg the question of does sharing money with people help or is this just put a bandage on the issue? These are lessons that I am exploring and want to share with others!

Thank you for reading this post and I hope you all have a wonderful day and start your week!