Self ESTEEM Cultivating KINDNESS starts with YOU!

Kindness. I think it's safe to assume that absolutely Every Single One of You understands the basic principle of kindness.

It's a relatively simple concept isn't it? An inner quality of being friendly to others, generous and considerate.

By being kind to others we all hope that they, in turn, will be kind to us too.

Biblically it comes under the "Do unto others as you would be done by" or the tenet to love your neighbour as you would yourself.

And the truth is, no matter how theologically different they are, or divided they might appear to be...kindness is a virtue that finds it's way into most religions the world over.

Kindness crosses the divides between species, between animals and people and quite possibly between all lifeforms both seen and unseen. There are numerous videos on the internet demonstrating inter-species acts of kindness from monkeys to dogs and cats..even birds, as this uplifting 3 minute video shows;

Next up to enrich your day, make you smile, laugh, and possibly even cry, is an 11minute video filled with 100 dazzling images of kindness. Here kindness is expressed in a myriad of different forms, each unique, each a profound and caring act. And whatever the circumstances, whether it's a natural disaster, wars, civil or military conflicts, from drought to flooding or city centre homelessness, no matter where you stand on these issues, you have to admit that the worst of events sometimes brings out the best in us all...

A recent video from Quinn Michaels suggests that kindness codes are also programmed into artificial intelligence as well. I wrote a post about this subject called "Saving Tyler, saving graces and secret codes" for anyone interested in this ultra cutting edge approach to the concept of kindness extending further beyond the usual parameters, to bots, robots, and all AI. And if that intrigues you, see the link here; https://steemit.com/artificial/@lilygolightly/saving-tyler-and-saving-graces-ai-and-secret-codes

Many psychologists argue that kindness is hard wired into the circuitry of any intelligent lifeform. And if, as the quantum physisists tell us, we are all connected at deep intrinsic levels in both time and space, it is surely only intelligent to wish for the happiness and well being of everyone upon this earth? Most of the spiritual teachers, like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, assert that kindness finds its home in the heart, as an emotion, the feeling of compassion... from whence kindness springs as an action. And if we research Taoist beliefs, kindness can also manifest as an INaction. How many times have we all wished we had kept our mouths shut only to hear words spilling from our lips that we will surely regret? Once said, we cannot unsay them, can we? Here in this instance, suppressing something harmful and hurtful is actually an inaction but, paradoxically, it is an act of kindness nonetheless!

Before you can be kind to others, or act with kindness, many great gurus will tell you to start with yourself. Internally. Inside your own skull, where the voices we hear are mostly our own! In this space, inside yourself, are you kind...to YOU? Or do you beat yourself up continually, admonishing yourself for your mistakes or failures? In the deepest parts of ourselves we have dark strange voices that tell us negative stories about ourselves. Repeating derogatory words spoken by others, that harmed us, telling is how we will never be good enough, perform well enough, or solve our problems.

Some call this inner voice the Monkey Mind. Largely because it chatters away in endless streams of drivel, usually when you're trying to get to sleep, or when someone has said something unkind it replays over and over in your head. My monkey mind even sings songs heard on the radio...but the beauty of the radio is...we can switch it off. As anyone who has caught the infamous 'ear worm' knows, its not so easy to find the Monkey Mind's "OFF" switch is it??

For this reason most spiritual practitioners suggest developing the art of meditation to quiet the mind, giving solace to the soul. There are many different forms, some active like walking meditations, most however involve doing nothing more than just sitting and using one's focused attention to calm, or still, the mind in a gentle and passive manner. Or by watching the thoughts arise and allowing them to fall away in a process refered to as 'witnessing.' Some people like to focus on the rise and fall of the breath, or an object of beauty like a flower, water, or a representation of serenity like the face of Buddha for example.

But make no mistake this monkey mind, this inner tiger, of ours needs to be tamed.

Taming the tiger of your own mind is crucial in the process of learning to become kind to yourself first and foremost. Before you can beam that kindness out from inside yourself and to your loved ones, families and friends, neighbourhoods and districts, workplaces and offices, nations and countries, globally and universally, you have to start with YOU! But do not under estimate what a huge impact one small pebble of kindness thrown into a deep pool can have in causing a tsuamni of kindness to sweep gently over the entire planet and out into the multiverse!

And with a big splash, and a ka-boom! That's a huge ripple effect creating a potential tidal wave of change. There are lots of awakened kind souls beginning to Pay It Forward and many are practicing random acts of kindness like paying for another drink in their local cafe for the benefit of anyone who comes along afterwards. Some are leaving random painted rocks, bearing inspirational words, out in nature or in the wilderness like The Kindness Rocks Project in America. Yes, it seems that people are rocking up and spreading the kindness vibe in weird and wonderful ways! And that represents a paradigm shift from selfish and selfies to true self esteem and self mastery. From me me me to we we we.

And here we are back to this idea that we are all deeply inextricably connected. Something highly relevant to all of us steemies in the steemit community.

Self esteem.

As both a concept and a word it is a reflection on how much you value yourself, what value is assigned to you from outside sources like, for example, how you are regarded or esteemed by others. At its heart self esteem is an emotional evaluation or acceptance of your own worth. And that comes from the bedrock, the foundation of inner security, from being at peace with oneself, from naturally, effortlessly esteeming yourself first, and then others next, in a kind of block chain of kindness based on self esteem.

Funny how that word breaks into e-steem, isn't it?

E=Steem. Steem as a value, AND an energy co-created by us all. Also a communication device increasing our ability to connect. Helping us all to work together as a team. Value continuously generated by each upvote, every post, each resteem and every comment. And we greatly esteem the kindness of the whales, the dolphins and the witnesses, don't we? Funny that!

Having only recently dived into the steemit community I find that it is an intelligent and innovative platform for the creative mind, and one that is based on the ethos of kindness...where if one thrives, others do too, in a philosophy remarkably similar to the old hippy saying 'of what goes around, comes around.' There is a fresh breeze blowing through the internet and it is filled with the fragrance of precious souls writing kindly and cogently for the betterment of all, caring and sharing in the wealth of wisdom, insight, knowledge and understanding that each person on the block chain is willing and able to share.

For me kindness also allies with the concept of unconditionality. We do not give in order to get. Sure, it's nice when we DO get something back. But thats not why we give. At least it shouldn't be! In our tit for tat, eye for an eye, like for a like, upvote for an upvote, we often give in the hope of getting something back.

And the true spirit of kindness is not this. In its deepest form it truly expects nothing, requires no recognition. It is silently done, quietly given. The Greek word 'agape' means the highest form of love revealed by loving acts of charity, and also the love the divine (or God) has for us - a deep loving kindness whose sole motivation is love.

So you see, kindness is simply this...love in action. ❤️

Notes and picture credits;

Dalai Lama Meme created by Mind Sciences
Lips "sshhh" Painting by Anna Kniazeva
Monk Cartoon by Buddha Doodles
Ear Worm graphic Boston University

Understanding Ear Worms;
http://www.bu.edu/synapse/2011/11/27/earworms/

Buddha in the garden by lilygolightly

Tiger sleeping on Buddha image;
ondaheightsofdespair

Kindness Rock photo from The Kindness Rocks Project;
http://thekindnessrocksproject.com/

Ubuntu free pdf as a humanistic philosophy;
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/28706/04chapter4.pdf?sequence=5

Dolphins and fish photo;
Diving World

Elephant Meme by Spirit Science