Actions and Consequences: Unleashing the Power of Kindness

When I started this blog, I promised to provide valuable insights into your life and business. As someone who understands that personal and professional lives are intertwined, I firmly believe that fostering a healthy and self-aware mindset is essential for a fulfilling and successful life. In this post, I want to shed light on the critical connection between actions and consequences and emphasize the importance of considering the potential impact of our actions before taking them.

To illustrate the significance of mindful actions, I feel compelled to share a heartbreaking story in the hope that it will remind us all that our consequences have actions, and we never know what the people around us are going through.  My husband always says the key to humanity is to just “Be Nice”.  He is soooo right (you can tell him I said that 😉), and we CAN do better!

A young man in my community tragically took his own life after enduring relentless online bullying and hateful comments. I didn’t know this young man or his family, but I do know that for some reason people feel empowered to spew incredible hate and vitriol from their keyboards that they would NEVER have the guts to say to someone’s face(nor should they!), and now another young man is gone.  He wasn’t the first, and I’m sad to say, I’m sure he won’t be the last. This incident serves as a stark reminder that our words and actions hold immense power, and the consequences can be devastating. We need to do so much better!

Through the years, when talking to my high school clients about their use of social media and the type of pictures they were posting, I would advise, “if you wouldn’t want your grandma to see it, don’t post it”. Today, as I’m thinking about this tragedy and consider the harmful impact social media is having on our society, I have the same advice, “if you wouldn’t say it to your grandma, please, for the love of all that is holy…don’t say it to someone else.” 

The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is such a lie.  Words DO have an impact and we need to do better.

Nothing will bring back this young man or all of the others who have tragically gone before him, but please let this be the start of the conversation with your children, your coworkers, and your friends,  or the look in the mirror you might need to change your own ways.  We can all do better!

My hope is that this will be a good reminder for all of us to show our humanity, in all aspects of our lives.  As an example, I’m not a very patient person and find myself getting frustrated when things take longer than they should or don’t make sense to me, but that’s not an excuse to take it out on someone else.  I can let my concerns be known without being obnoxious or rude; I can do better. We can ALL do better.

And there’s no time like the present. We’re making judgments about what we’re seeing every time we scroll through our favorite social media platforms. “Do we like that?  Do we want that?  Wow, did you see that?  Why would they do that?  Oh, that’s not right!”... and the list goes on and on.  We see judgments, attitudes, and opinions raining down on others like they are decrees from the heavens, without any regard for the business, person, or people on the receiving end.  I’m in a number of social media groups and am so often disappointed in the responses I see from more experienced people when a “newbie” asks a question or needs help.  The level of snarkiness and judgment that ensues is unsettling. 

So, what can we do?

Social media has become such a powerful tool for connecting people, conducting business, and sharing information. However, it can also be a breeding ground for negativity and harm when misused. Instead of advocating for abandoning social media altogether, I’d like to focus on using it responsibly and promoting kindness and compassion online. Here are a few steps I think we can take:

1. Live by the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.
2. If you wouldn’t say it to Grandma, don’t say it: Avoid saying anything to someone online that you wouldn’t say to your Grandma in person.
3. Embrace our shared humanity: Recognize that we are all imperfect beings with strengths and weaknesses. Don’t hide behind your keyboard to assert your superiority by belittling or degrading others.
4. Lead by example: Inspire those around you with acts of kindness and empathy. Encourage accountability in a compassionate manner, rather than resorting to hate or bullying.

Imagine how much better things could be if we all just tried a little harder every day…By adopting a mindset of compassion and kindness, we can turn this thing around for ourselves and our communities.

As I was finishing up a Peloton ride recently, the instructor said:

“If you see everyone’s differences, you’re gonna feel like you walk through the world alone.  But if you see how we’re all way more similar and all in the same damn fight in a different way, life gets a little better. I promise you that.” 

– Kendall Toole

Now there’s a truth bomb!  Let’s go out into the world, seek out our similarities, and use them to bond us together instead of letting our differences tear us apart.  Thank you for letting me share. I would love to hear YOUR thoughts on how we can collectively improve and make a difference. Leave me a comment below.