What is the last thing you did out of kindness? Perhaps you gave your seat to someone on the tube or offered someone to go in front of you in the queue at the supermarket. Either way I bet it felt good. Completing acts of kindness really gives us a sense of self-worth, acceptance and a feel-good factor that you cannot get from a gym or completing a test.
What I like to do as a RAOK
Every few months I offer an appointment free of charge as one of my random acts of kindness. Are you mad, some business people might say? Giving away your time and resources for free, how on earth do you expect to make a living. Or they assume I am rich and don’t need the money! If only that were true. However, I am adbundant in many things. Time is a great resource that I believe if you offer then you are rewarded by the universe in return in many ways. Being a good homeopath is, I believe, part natural medicine and remedies, but also about holding the space for someone and giving them time. Time to listen, time for them to have moments of clarity and time for them to step outside of their everyday scenarios and breathe, pause, reflect and join together the dots. It is during this time that the healing process can then begin.
A patient of mine dropped by today to collect some remedies and she asked me about my offer of a free appointment. Could she gift that to a friend of hers in desperate need. She talked about what she was going through and it sounded hard. Within the narrative of fear, chaos, illness and stress the overarching need was time. By taking an hour out of her schedule and coming to see me she new that her friend would be given the space to let it out and not feel judged, abandoned, unworthy or unheard. We also talked about how capitalism leaves very little space for genuine love and that the future of business needs to work in this way. By giving we end up receiving more times than we ever imagine. It just works like that, don’t ask me how!
Kindness Costs Nothing But Means Everything
A few years ago I embarked on a rather large act of kindness that shaped me in my professional and personal capacity and changed the way I thought about many things. I began writing to a prisoner on Death Row. Throughout the friendship, right up until his death, he taught me many things that I could never have imagined. By giving of my time I received in return wisdom, knowledge, an insightful perspective and humour. Now I’m not saying everyone should do that, but I am hoping that everyone can be kind more.
Being able to help people on the path to wellbeing is my work, but every now and again I love to do it out of pure, unadulterated kindness and I’ll let you into a secret, I really enjoy that!
