Sometimes it can be challenging to consider the feelings and needs of others. Times are stressful and especially lately, so that makes it more of a struggle, but here are some suggestions on how to be kind and considerate.
We know that there are some people who are so selfless, they forget to take care of themselves. They are so good about showing kindness to the stranger, that they neglect their own self-care — obviously, this is a problem, because its imperative that we do both. Then there are those people who think of no one but themselves. These people, and we all know some, could not care less about the needs of others and they spend their days seeking only the best for themselves. These people are frightening and personally, I tend to avoid them.
We need to do both — take care of ourselves and help others. Now of course there are countless ways to do that, such as volunteering, mentoring, teaching, etc. But there are some ways that are necessary first-steps, which help us to first become aware of the fact that other people, animals and nature, all matter greatly.
One way to realign our thinking to make the needs and care of others as a priority, is to condition our minds to be conscious of it and that’s where positive affirmations come in. Positive affirmations are a wonderful way to remind us to not only be positive or mindful, but to also think and treat others as we ourselves would like to be treated.
This collection of positive affirmations is a great starting point and will hopefully get you thinking of your own:
This world belongs to all life and I affirm that I will treat everyone with compassion and respect.
All life is precious and I will treat others as I want to be treated.
Today, I affirm that I will be kind and welcoming to everyone I meet.
I am grateful for all that I have and I want others to be happy and prosperous.
I embrace compassion and understanding.
It is not my place to judge. I’m here to be kind and generous.
I treat family, friends and strangers with love and kindness.
I speak and act with kindness and understanding.
Just as I matter, so does everyone else and I will lead from a place of friendship.
I will be calm and I will be patient. I will treat others with courtesy and respect.
These suggested affirmations are a good starting point and I hope they help you come up with your own. The key step is to first acknowledge the desire to be good and do good and then, remind ourselves daily that we want to treat everyone the same way we want to be treated.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31
