Hate, indifference, and disdain are a lot easier to come by these days. We see—and even engage with—horrible posts and comments on social media and we fill up with negativity. And, as a lot of us know, it’s also a lot easier to get mad and feel “triggered” than it is to let go and move past feelings of anger and irritation. This is why, I think, it’s important for all of us to relearn the value of being kind. Cue World Kindness Day!
Every November 13 is World Kindness Day. It was started by the World Kindness Movement in 1997 whose members include representatives from countries all over the world like Japan, Australia, South Korea, Thailand, the USA, and many more.
The goal of World Kindness Day is “to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together.” Kindness bridges gaps despite our differences in politics, gender, religion, race and more. It’s a powerful thing! In celebration, here are palettes inspired by three areas where we ought to practice more kindness.
For Yourself: Blue
“Be kind to yourself” can sound vague. It’s quite simple though: how you show kindness to others is also how you should show kindness to yourself. It can mean forgiving your own mistakes and wrongdoings (and learning from them, of course). It’s acknowledging when you feel stressed and allowing yourself to slow down. Kindness is avoiding comparing yourself with other people and needlessly judging yourself so harshly.
For the reasons above, blue makes for a fitting color. Blue is the color of serenity. Blue is also the color of trust and resilience. Humans tend to dwell in the past and stress about the future. Be kind to yourself and find peace in where you are now.
Towards Each Other: Yellow
One of the easiest ways to spread kindness is to practice it with the people we spend the most time with. Even the seemingly small things count. If a family member has cooked a meal for everyone, a sincere compliment or even a simple thank you as a sign of gratitude rarely goes unappreciated.
Like the color yellow, kindness stands out. Even a little bit is enough to make an impact. Yellow is also the color of happiness. It is uplifting, bold, and brave. Remember that kindness also takes courage. It takes effort and the stripping of our egos to acknowledge that we need to be kinder towards one another.
In the Community: Green
By community, this means both offline and online. Sometimes we see the world as “us” versus “them.” Team this against team that. We forget that, at our core, every human being is the same. We all want to feel heard. We want to feel appreciated and loved. We all want better futures. Every one of us just wants to be happier.
We’re all going through our own versions of difficulties and pain. And even with that alone, I think we deserve to be kinder to one another. Living is hard enough! We should listen before we condemn because there is room for empathy. Green is the color of healing and I think kindness is capable of that.
Happy World Kindness Day! I hope you give and receive a little bit of it today. May the palettes we shared inspire you to add a little more color into your life too. For questions about paint and Boysen products, our technical team will be happy to help. Send an email to ask@myboysen.com or call (02) 8363-9738 local 413 to 418 during office hours for a one-on-one consultation.