Kindness takes self awareness...

Hey Kindness Warriors! When I decided to submit a blog post, I wasn’t sure I knew exactly what I was going to write about, and then emerged my truth. My plan (ask me about how planning everything usually turns out) was to participate in all 5 areas of kindness and then write about the outcome. Simple enough, right? Right[ish]! In the 5 areas I found I needed, craved, longed for, and was void of, one area. I was in a mental drought in mental health. I thought I was doing pretty good until I was in tears of joy when I took the time to serve my desire to read a book. I devoured it. I hadn't taken a quiet moment to get lost in the world of anothers story, in learning and growth from words, in the ethereal calm that comes from feeling paper and ink, in almost a year. My internal compass was unbalanced left to gyrate in an eternal death spin begging to be halted and set towards North. I often focus outside myself, which is good, but empty I my own oxygen tank on others and then am void when I need to breathe. Then, I breathed in those pages, I cried wet tears with my friends in that book, and I threw it across the room with passion when one of those friends crossed me wrong. I drank in the goodness of becoming aware of my own joy and what it feels like when you are kind and well. 
Take time to look at the 5 pillars of kindness and ask yourself “where is my compass pointing?” Often, when I am out of balance I need to serve others, but sometimes, I need to fill my own tank, so I can fully give when that time comes.

Sarah N.