12 Feb2021
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Below are some suggested actions if Kindness is a top Character Strength
Kindness consists of doing favours and good deeds for others without the expectation of personal gain. This strength requires respect for others but also includes emotional affection. Kind people find joy in the act of giving and helping other people, regardless of their degree of relatedness or similarity.
Too much: intrusiveness
Too little: indifference
But if you dont know your Strengths why not take the VIA Strength Test – click here
Do three random acts of kindness per week for those whom you know. Consider doing small favours for friends and neighbors, calling sick or sad friends, getting groceries for a friend busy in exams, cooking a meal for an elderly relative, or baby-sitting.
Do one random act of kindness weekly for someone you don’t know. Consider letting someone ahead of you in line, putting money in a meter than has run out, or letting another customer take the last item on a shelf.
Donate blood periodically, especially when there is news of a shortage. Let people know about your action, not as boasting but as encouragement for them to do the same.
Visit someone who is sick and in the hospital. Bring them flowers and a card, and stay long enough that you notice their mood improve visibly.
Visit someone in a nursing home or hospice. Bring something that you know they enjoy, such as a favorite food, favorite flower, or photo album.
Give gifts to others that involve experiential activities. Some ideas include a gift certificate for a class, supplies for a hiking trip, or a ticket to a new place.
Take out a friend(s) on a surprise dinner and pay for it. Savor the satisfaction that you feel from your generosity.
Say kinder and softer words to people when interacting through email, writing letters, talking on phone. Be aware that communication over distance requires different types of gentleness than face-to-face communication.
Cook a nice meal for your loved ones. Let it be your project from beginning to end, from the shopping trip at the grocery store to washing the dishes afterward.
Share your belongings with others (e.g., lawn mover, snow blower, jump cables). Offer to help them if they don’t know how to operate equipment or go about accomplishing a task.
Make an inventory of your possessions, keep only what you absolutely need, and donate the rest. Observe whether owning fewer unnecessary possessions affects your mood or your concept of self.
Donate your time to others through helpful actions. Find a local volunteer organization, start a project of your own, or simply find time to do random acts of kindness for others.
Greet others with smile. When you ask people how they are, really listen for their response rather than conversing on “autopilot.”
While driving, give way to others and be courteous of pedestrians and bicyclists. When entering or exiting buildings hold the door for others.
Help fix someone’s flat tire or offer your cell phone to a stranded motorist. Carry jumper cables and flares in your trunk in case you need to help someone on the road.
Fix a community apparatus (such as playground equipment) even if you did not break it. Be aware of your role as a member of the community.
Stop and help someone who needs help on a highway. Stay with them until a tow truck or police officer arrives on the scene