“You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Oh, may I be a little kinder, may I be a little blinder to the faults of those around me, let me care a whole lot more”
On the thirteenth of November, the world celebrates World Kindness Day. This day is set aside to honour those who perform honorable deeds in making society a better place to be and to live, and who shower kindness on others no matter their circumstances, their religion, their financial means or their ability to repay such kindness. The theme for 2022 is that kindness makes you live longer through meaningfully improving the lives of others.
Acts of kindness have the potential to make the world a happier place. An act of kindness can, for ourselves and for those receiving the kindness, enhance a sense of confidence that things are not as difficult as we thought, and of there being a little more in control of the circumstances of life. It often encourages a knock-on effect of growing the kindness displayed to others in those receiving the kindness, with improved happiness and optimism that somehow makes the world feel like a better place.
On the 17th of February next year “Random Acts of Kindness” day is celebrated by individuals, groups, and organisations around the world to encourage acts of kindness, but why wait for a special day to start your journey of trying to be a little kinder and little more blind to the faults of others, and not to so quickly take offense.
So, what can be done so that you can be the agent for spreading kindness to others with whom you encounter during your daily activities?
Be polite and complimentary when you interact with someone in every situation. This will often bear fruit in the level of service and the responses you receive in kind.
Genuinely engage with people and enquire about their day. and if there is anything you can do to make it better.
Pay kindness forward by engaging in any simple act of kindness to someone you meet each day. Hopefully they will respond themselves by being kind to another that they meet.
One of the easiest is just to share a smile and an acknowledgement of another’s existence!
One way of showing kindness in your community scheme, would be to practise good neighbourliness. Community schemes are often hotbeds of emotions where people are quick to take offense at the actions of their fellow residents especially if they perceive they are being slighted or their needs ignored. Rather try to engage your fellow residents through friendly and helpful behaviour, to build a spirit of good neighbourliness amongst those living in your community scheme. In your community scheme, this would typically involve knowing and abiding by the scheme’s conduct rules and engaging in types of behaviour that shows respect towards your fellow residents for their wellbeing and enjoyment of living in the community scheme.
So, this month, especially in your interactions with your fellow residents, with your managing agent, and with your scheme executives, try to extend to them the same kindness that you would want them to show you. Even though at times you may not always agree with their words or their actions, for most of us, we are all just trying to make our way through life, and endeavouring to do the best that we can, with the little that we may have.
At Whitfields we endeavour to listen, care, and deliver, through serving the members of the community schemes we manage. We undertake that we will by our best endeavours and best practise, provide relevant and updated information to the scheme executives on the applicable governing scheme legislation and how such impacts the scheme where they are appointed, and to give them the necessary direction and advice as to how they can best manage their schemes.
We hope we will always be able to meet your expectations as we endeavour to do every day! At times we may fail, but we will always try our best to do better and to improve in the service we provide. We have done so for the past 25 plus years and look forward to doing so into the future!