Kindness

Book description

Rediscover kindness and rediscover your worth

Have you ever helped someone out of instinct, because not helping never even occurred to you? Remember how surprised you were at their gratitude? It is easy to feel like kindness and gratitude are becoming rare in the world today, but the truth is that it is all around you — you just need to learn how to see it. Kindness shows you how to do just that, and inspires you to take part with tips, ideas, recommendations and advice. You will learn to see yourself and your surroundings in a kinder, happier way.

Kindness is not people-pleasing; people-pleasing comes from a place of anxiety, while kindness is borne out of empathy. Kindness expects no reward or recognition, and is just as beneficial to the giver as the receiver. Kindness can be a grand gesture, or something as simple as a smile. It can be quiet or loud, simple or complex. This book helps you internalise the fundamental truth that kindness does not require wealth or possessions, or material giving at all — whatever you have to offer is enough, and it may just change someone’s life. Learn how to:

  • See the silver lining and take care of yourself in difficult times.
  • Do and say kind things when you're not feeling very kindly.
  • Sustain the warm feelings that come from helping others.
  • Express kindness even when other people are rude or critical.
  • Enjoy self-care and treating yourself.

Opportunities to be kind present themselves every day, and here you’ll learn how to notice them. Your self-esteem and confidence will grow as you discover the pure joy of helping others, and you’ll feel more comfortable allowing others to help you. In a world where kindness seems to get lost in the shuffle of worry, anxiety, aggression and worse, Kindness shows you how to bring it back into the light. 

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
    1. We need more kindness!
  2. PART 1 Being Kind to Others
    1. 1 Being Kind
      1. What gets in the way of being kind?
      2. Limits of kindness
      3. Benefits of kindness
      4. Aspects of kindness
      5. In a nutshell
    2. 2 Kindness and Empathy
      1. Empathy
      2. Develop your empathy
      3. Challenges to empathy
      4. Limits to empathy
      5. Do something
      6. Be a good listener
      7. What to say? Do’s and don’ts
      8. Giving advice and information: do’s and don’ts
      9. What to do? Do’s and don’ts
      10. Do what you’re good at; don’t do what you’re no good at
      11. In a nutshell
    3. 3 Go Out of Your Way to Make a Difference
      1. Be welcoming, approachable and inclusive
      2. What to say
      3. Go the extra mile; be generous
      4. Be generous with your encouragement
      5. Support others; mentoring and advocating
      6. Share your knowledge and skills
      7. Advocate
      8. Speak out
      9. Express your appreciation
      10. Giving praise and compliments
      11. Compliments and praise
      12. Don’t just express appreciation, show it
      13. Make kindness a habit
      14. In a nutshell
    4. 4 Kindness and Respect
      1. Respect the choices, abilities and limits of others
      2. Be non-judgmental
      3. Replace judgment with kindness
      4. Empathise
      5. Acceptance
      6. Being patient
      7. Being tactful
      8. Giving feedback. Kindly
      9. Giving criticism. Kindly
      10. Letting someone down/disappointing them
      11. Giving bad news
      12. In a nutshell
    5. 5 Be Kind When Others are Rude and Inconsiderate
      1. Why are people rude?
      2. Forgiving
      3. Suspend judgment
      4. Empathise
      5. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
      6. Be assertive, not unkind
      7. Kindness in the face of criticism
      8. Shutting someone up. Kindly
      9. How to end a friendship. Kindly
      10. In a nutshell
  3. Part II Being Kind to Yourself
    1. 6 Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself; Be Kind
      1. Respect yourself
      2. Self-empathy and perspective
      3. Take responsibility and learn from it
      4. Self-acceptance
      5. Avoid the comparison trap
      6. Think positive
      7. Learn from your mistakes
      8. In a nutshell
    2. 7 Kindness When Your Life is Really Difficult
      1. Understanding sadness
      2. Take the pressure off
      3. Indulge yourself with comfort and reassurance
      4. Moving on
      5. Kindness when you’re ill or injured
      6. Let others take care of you
      7. Ease back into your life
      8. In a nutshell
    3. 8 Feel Good About Yourself
      1. Identify and acknowledge your strengths
      2. Recognise your efforts and achievements
      3. Take a compliment
      4. Do more of what you enjoy
      5. Gratitude
      6. In a nutshell
  4. Useful Websites
  5. About the Author
  6. Index
  7. EULA

Product information

  • Title: Kindness
  • Author(s): Gill Hasson
  • Release date: June 2018
  • Publisher(s): Capstone
  • ISBN: 9780857087522