By Matt Sherman:
The Dalai Lama is quoted saying, “just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into the water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects.”
This quote resonates with the team at 50 Days of Kindness. We’re a purpose-driven organization that puts kindness into the world to improve the well-being of individuals and inspire people to make positive contributions to each other, to society, and towards a healthier planet. Our annual Kindness Challenge is a campaign focused on individuals performing random acts of kindness for the last 50 days of the year. In doing this, we all learn together about the power of kindness to help, heal and build resilience.
It turns out that kindness is a key enabler driving far-reaching benefits throughout the world and helps to build resilience in impactful ways. Resilience is crucial in today’s global community to help us all navigate through unpredictable challenges, adapt to rapid changes, and bounce back from setbacks effectively.
The role of kindness in promoting resiliency shows up all around us. We all know parents who help their children develop resilience, as they learn to overcome obstacles with courage and self-confidence. Businesses implement mentorship programs and supportive work environments that cultivate resilience among employees, leading to greater adaptability and perseverance in the face of professional challenges. Governments enact policies that prioritize social welfare and provide resources for those in need, which strengthens resilience by ensuring that communities have the support and infrastructure necessary to withstand and recover from hardships.
There are several notable articles on the topic of kindness and resilience. An interesting article, Parenting with a Kind Mind, in Frontiers in Psychology states that “Parent-driven kindness interventions may prove fruitful in promoting resilience, as parents have the influence and opportunity to become the first teachers and models for acts of kindness with their children.” The Harvard Business Review published Leading with Compassion Has Research-Backed Benefits, where they mention “that selfless giving to others is associated with happiness, well-being, resilience and resistance to burnout, as well as a decrease in depression and improved relationships.”
At 50 Days of Kindness, we recently launched a new resource page on our website as part of our commitment to promote influential change makers & educational materials to inspire and empower everyone everywhere about the power of kindness. We'll be updating this site regularly, so be sure to check back often. We encourage you to share these resources with others who may find them valuable. Together, we can make the world a kinder place.
In addition, we are excited to share the development of educational materials that include a new children’s book written by our family and featuring our adorable pups. "Jake and Toby’s Big Adventure: Teaching children about the power of kindness" is now available for purchase on Amazon.
We encourage anyone reading this to think about your own ripple effect - what can you do to make the world a kinder place and give back, to create a more compassionate global community?