How to make kindness the norm

“I’ve travelled all over the world, but I’ve rarely met such kind and decent concerned people as I have in just the last few days in St. John’s.”

CNN journalist Anderson Cooper, covering the Titan tragedy in June of 2023, was blown away by the kindness of Newfoundlanders.

In a world so torn apart and often downright nasty, maybe it’s time to be more like Newfoundlanders and be kind.

Can you imagine a world where kindness is the norm? That’s the goal of the Random Act of Kindness Foundation, dedicated to spreading kindness in the world.

The foundation has coined a new word “RAKtivist,” short for “Random Acts of Kindness activist” or “people that end up brightening what otherwise would’ve been ‘just a normal day.’ ”

That’s the world RAKtivists want. They inspire and celebrate random acts of kindness.

Want to be a RAKtivist? The foundation gives suggestions of how to be kind at home, at school and at work.

Like any behaviour, kindness begins at home. If parents practise kindness, the children will imitate.

Here’s an example: One extremely cold day, my sister and I were walking along a slippery sidewalk in Ottawa. The lady in front to us fell. Without a moment’s hesitation, my sister was down on the freezing sidewalk helping the lady.

A very kind person, she calls people who are ill and those who have lost a loved one. She learned kindness at home, raised by parents who were always ready to help others with a place to stay, a meal or simply a cup of tea.

I was moved by comments made by Mark Mulroney, son of the late prime minister Brain Mulroney. He told the CTV interviewer that of all the outpouring of sympathy the family has received, “the one thing we keep hearing is the phone calls my dad made when no one was listening. He regularly reached out to people in their darkest hours … making sure they were OK.”

Teachers have opportunities to encourage students to be kind.

The CBC article “How Gander’s response to 9/11 changed the lives of its teenagers,” tells the story of Jane March and Maranda Ford, who were teens the day the twin towers were hit.

Later, as teachers at Gander Academy, they became “passionate about teaching young children about kindness and compassion. They encourage children to tell them small acts of kindness they’ve done and praise even the smallest examples.”

Ford noted, “I really think that … seeing our community come together really made me realize that it doesn’t have to be a big thing. It’s just the small things that matter.”

Academic studies argue that great bosses intentionally practise kindness.

A few kind words make your employees feel appreciated. Feeling appreciated, they perform better. I remember great teams of administrators at Orchard Park Secondary School, who actually wrote personal notes of thanks to their staff. I enjoyed working for them as I am sure others did.

Traffic is an area where people should be more considerate.

Hamiltonians, if the driver in front of you is going slower than you want, be considerate. That person is probably from out of town and finds Hamilton, with its one-way streets, difficult to navigate. No “finger” pointing. Give the driver space. That simple gesture could make someone’s day.

That kind act could also help you.

“Studies have shown that acts of kindness … increase the health and happiness of the giver,” according to Michelle Graff-Radford of the Mayo Clinic’s HABIT (Healthy Action to Benefit Independence and Thinking) program.

She lists the benefits of kindness: protects memory, decreases depression and stress and makes us happier and lowers blood pressure.

A trip to The Rock would be a good prescription for all of us.