There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind. – Fred Rogers
Yes, he had attitude, but he always had heart. Here he is in 2010 with the Special Olympics Athlete of the Year. Kindness knows no bounds, if you are willing to follow your heart..
What does that mean?
There is a triple scoop of kindness in this quote. There are many ways in which one can be successful, but few of them travel paths where kindness is absent.
If you wish to get to the ultimate success, however you might define it, it will be hard to achieve without at least a little kindness. At the very least, kindness is a social lubricant, helping things move smoothly.
At the other end of the spectrum, kindness is a crucial part of happiness, love, forgiveness, peacefulness, harmony, and so many other critical aspects of success. How can you get there without kindness?
At the very least, kindness is like a rising tide; it lifts all boats. There is no down side to kindness, unless you do so foolishly and without thought, and allow someone to take advantage of you. And even then, you still have the moral high ground.
Why is kindness important?
As mentioned above, kindness is crucial to success, no matter how you define it. Even professional boxers have a kind side. It may be under-developed, but it is there. We all have it, and we all need it. The question is how often do we use it, and to what end.
We can be used by kindness, as mentioned in the prior section. We can also abuse kindness given us by others (in the process becoming the person mentioned in the prior section). Again, we want the middle road, where we are neither abused nor abusers.
Still, there is a lot of room between the two extremes. We can all find a comfortable place in there, somewhere. The author of this quote used his kindness to become a rock star of children’s television, as well as the butt of many jokes in the Junior High crowd.
However, is that all you aspire to attain? Simple comfort and stability? What about growth? What about getting better? What about being an example, so that others might learn or be inspired? What can you do to be a leader and show your kindness?
Where can I apply this in my life?
That is an interesting question. Where in your life can you be kind? I would argue that you can use it in every aspect of your life, and that you already use it in large portions of your life right now. We all have our soft spots, even us tough guys.
Are you kind to animals? If a baby duck was crossing the street, would you slow down and let it cross, or try to hit it? Do you feel any gentle feelings in your life, or is it all hate and rage? Even in the quiet times between storms? I’ve yet to meet anyone like that.
So we will proceed with the idea that you have some amount of kindness in you, and that you are working towards being more kind than ever. As with any process, there will be good days, and bad days. But by keeping at it, eventually the new patterns will become a bit more natural.
Let’s start by making a list of where we are kind to others. Grab some paper, and let’s get started. We can be kind to family, friends, acquaintances, those in our social circles, those at work, and to strangers.
Where else have you been kind to others? How else could you group them? Do you have more specific or useful labels? Please feel free to use whatever works best for you. Pick one group and write down all the ways you can remember being kind in the last few days, weeks or months.
Think through what you have written and look for gaps. Where else could you have been kind? Where there times when you were more reluctant? Were there certain people who caused you to be more reluctant than others? Are there times of day, or whole days, when you are less likely to be kind?
By making a map, for lack of a better term, you can better determine where you are strong, and where you could use some improvement. You might want to start by taking an area where you are fairly strong, but want to be a little stronger. Or you could jump in the deep end, and pick one which you have the most room to improve.
Do we really need to go over exactly how to be kind? I think we all have that buried deep within ourselves, if only we take the time to listen. If nothing else, we know how to be mean, so just do the opposite. At least that’s how I do it.
From: Twitter, @Hatchigan
confirmed at : http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/518375-there-are-three-ways-to-ultimate-success-the-first-way
Photo by Monkey Mancheeks
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- Helping is Kindness (jameshudyma.com)
