By Elena Zevallos
We’re happy to announce our newest campaign: the Be Kind 21 Challenge! Running during the month of September, this competition focuses on our ability to make positive changes in our lives, our community, and the environment through daily acts of kindness. First launched as an online movement by Lady Gaga and her Born This Way Foundation, it inspires people around the world to lead with their hearts, while inviting others to lead with theirs, too. Because our society calls for this now, more than ever.
Being kind can be difficult at times, especially when we’re feeling down in the dumps! Let’s remember that taking the time to care for ourselves, through emphasizing self-love and self-nourishment, is vital for treating others well, too. We’ve all heard the saying, we can’t see a positive difference in the world if we don’t encourage positive change within ourselves first. It's so true!
Kindness is powerful, too. Remember the time a stranger complimented you on one of your physical features? Or gave you a free cookie when you were feeling low? Or picked up something from the ground that had fallen when your hands were full? These generous actions almost always prompt the glowing feeling in us: that person just made my day. It’s amazing how one small kind gesture can flip a person’s spirit from low to high in a split second. And the good deed satisfies both parties equally. Studies show that dopamine is instantly released after we do good for someone else. Not only that, but the act also boosts oxytocin levels (also known as the “love hormone”). This bonding chemical is what makes us feel at one with the world, at our most blissful moments. Just think how all these good-feeling brain chemicals are produced upon doing some good for others!
So let’s be that person who makes someone else’s day. Become part of our campaign, and complete the daily actions list that’ll help reinforce our innate kindness. It’s simple and easy and you’ll be making yourself and others feel mutually positive! Join here.