3 Ways To Practice: Be Friendly and Kind To One Another
Looking back when I was a little girl, adults were correcting me every time when I sad bad things or when I was accidentally swearing. I know I didn’t like it, but I knew it was necessary as I also wanted to behave well.
I also try to do it with children when they play with my daughters and when they’re here at my home. Then they have to follow our rules. I think it is more than appropriate when they do that.
I always get the comments from children that they don’t do the same at home as we do, but then I tell them that they have to follow the rules and they will accept those rules. I also teach my children that rules at their friends home won’t be the same as ours and that they have to follow them there. Maybe there will be rules I can follow too. Then we have a win-win…
When I look around me, I see a lot of people being negative to one another. People have always comments on each other’s presence, ways they do things and what they think of a certain subject. And when the thoughts of you aren’t the same as your friends’ thoughts, they could look very weird to you as she thought you would think the same. As soon as she realises that it is not the case and she also realises she has to respect your thoughts, she starts being friendly to you.
Most of the people don’t respect the opinions, decisions and actions you make. They want you to think and do how they want you to do as they think the world should look like. And if someone else is not doing that, they’re judging you for what you are not.
They think you’re nobody and don’t treat you and all the others friendly and kind. They don’t learn that these days. People don’t say anything to others, especially children, about their behaviour. When you say something to them you will get bad comments towards you like you are not their mother, you get a middle finger, you say anything anymore to correct other people. When you may not tell others about their (bad) behaviour, then everybody just does whatever they want to do, including using drugs or whatever it is. Our society will be ruined if everyone is behaving like things.
Ok, this is really extreme, but being nice and kind starts with how people have been raised during their childhood. That is a part of a nice and kind and friendly society. You could have a bad day, for sure, but we can try to be friendly and kind.
I believe when you’re nice and friendly to one another, you get that back too! The world looks much better with friendliness.
You can practise being nice:
- Do one nice thing for someone else every day
- Help someone in need
- Volunteer now and then
Do one nice thing for someone else every day
Do one nice thing for someone else. Every day. That could be writing you mom a thank you note for everything she had done for you, tell your son he is doing well in school. Say to a stranger how lovely her dress looks like if you mean it. Help your sister moving to her next destination if you can of course. Helping your neighbours doing groceries for her as she is getting older and having difficulties with walking alone.
These are just examples of doing nice things for someone else. When you do this, people will have a good spot for you in their hearts.
Help someone in need
When our elderly neighbour needs their medicines before midnight, you will get them on your way to the grocery store. She needs that prescription. Otherwise, she doesn’t make it the next day, maybe. You give your last penny from your wallet to the homeless man who needs to buy that slice of bread. When that lovely lady crosses the streets but falls onto the stones, you call the ambulance and help her where needed.
Volunteer now and then
I have been volunteering a lot in the past twelve years. I have been writing the newsletters for the kindergarten of my oldest daughter, I have been photographing their moments, I have been an orchestra parent for about three years, I have a member of the jubilee committee of my daughter’s orchestra last year, I have been doing things for my daughter’s school. There many other things that I have been doing to volunteer.
These are examples that you are helping organisations with continuing what they should be doing. Helping the organisation is also a form of being friendly to one another. Friendly to the bosses and co-workers of the organisation by helping them out where they are not able to do things. That is what kindness and friendly mean, I believe.
Volunteering not only helps you get to know other people. You also will learn new skills.
Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in Bunnik, The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram.
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