In the hustle and bustle of your daily life, do you find yourself always on the run? Constantly moving from one place to another or from one task to another? What are the kind of things that you pay attention to? Things to be done, the breaking news on television and your phone amongst many things. In this flurry of experiences, when was the last time you stopped to notice an act of kindness?
Research does indicate that humans have a tendency to pay attention to the negative as opposed to the positive. Negative acts are more obvious to the eye than positive acts. The good news is, you can choose to consciously bring your attention to the things you want to notice. And you can begin by choosing to notice kindness in the world around you.
Want To Start Practicing Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness is a beautiful practice that helps us become rooted in life. It involves getting our minds back to the present and paying attention to the life that is unfolding right now within and around us.
Mindfulness Exercise: Noticing Acts of Kindness
“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain
It can sometimes feel like joy and kindness don’t exist in the world anymore but the truth is, it is a matter of paying attention and noticing these moments.
If you were ever a part of the girls guide or boys scout camp in school; you would remember the ‘one good deed a day’ policy. In this exercise you need to just notice the act of kindness which you may observe or experience in your day to day life.
Here are some examples:
- A smile of acknowledgment when someone sees you
- Your watchman opening the door for you
- Your household helper doing work to make your home more comfortable
- Someone who was polite to you and said – a please, a thank you, a sorry, a forgive me or an excuse me
- Someone who texted /called/emailed you a joke or an inspiring read or just a random ‘how are you’ message
These are just a few examples – and we are sure there must be plenty more that you’ll have an opportunity to observe throughout your day. Sometimes we are too busy just looking at the ground that we fail to see the blue skies above our head.
At the end of the day, we urge you to introspect on and notice each act of kindness that you witnessed and allow yourself to take it in!
About the Author
This article was written by Counselors & Mindfulness Trainers at Inner Space.
Ask a Therapist
If you are interested to know more about mindfulness and other mental health topics, ‘Ask A Therapist’ is a platform for you to ask your questions related to Mental Health, Mindfulness & Emotional Well-Being to our team of qualified Therapists.
