Is kindness our superpower?
A few weeks ago I had a meeting with another business woman in my town. She is such a lovely person. And I can’t remember how, but we got onto the subject of being kind. She told me a client had recently told her to stop being so kind, it wasn’t good for business.
My little brain doesn’t understand that. I have to argue that isn’t kindness what we need in the world right now? Now more than ever?
Especially as women. We’ve been taught to be mean to ourselves (too much fat, too many wrinkles, not enough boobs, and now, too kind!). It makes me think of America Ferrera’s iconic speech in the Barbie movie (watch it here). Imagine the change in the world if being kind was respected. If we weren’t made to feel so bad about ourselves. If self-compassion was the default?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent so much of my life trying to be a little bit more manly. Like in business, trying to remember to not write in an email, “I’m just wondering why” and instead write, “Why!” Shake hands with a firm grip. Try not to sound too girly.
But it makes me wonder, why do we have to change ourselves to be taken seriously? Why aren’t sterotypically feminine qualities respected? Why can’t we be soft and kind without being bulldozed? I’m just wondering.
What if we agreed to spend the next week being kind to ourselves. Really kind. Instead of beating ourselves up for not getting everything on the to-do list done we stroked our own hair and said, “you’ve done your best, maybe it’s time for a rest?”
I’m going to give it a try. Will you? Comment “Yes!” below.