Today's episode covers something the world can use a whole lot more of right now — kindness. The media loves to continue the narrative that the world is unsafe, full of conflict, and divided. And while there is some truth to this, as I travel around the country and the world, and interact with lots of different groups and people, I see something else. There is lots of kindness and compassion going on around us already and sometimes it helps just to tune in and connect with it rather than getting swept up in stress and drama. On this episode, we talk about the power of kindness, why it really starts with ourselves, and how we can bring compassion to work (and life) in an authentic and useful way.

Key Takeaways:

[2:30] As I work on my new book, We're All In This Together: Creating a Team Culture of High Performance, Trust, and Inclusion (working title), the importance and power of kindness is something that rises up to me as an extremely important asset of company culture and thriving as a human.

[6:10] Kindness drives the outcome that we want. The kinder we are, the more others will feel safe, heard, and open to connecting.

[6:29] Kindness starts with us. In order to radiate compassion out into the world, we must appreciate and be kind to ourselves.

[6:58] It is a humbling experience to see people of all different backgrounds and beliefs come together to help one another in a time of a crisis. The recent fires in California were an example of people reaching out to give what they had to those that needed it.

[11:45] It's easy to have animosity and it's part of the human experience in this modern day. Holiday rush, travel, even family can cause stress and friction in times where we need kindness most.

[13:11] There is a difference between being kind, and being nice. While kindness is authentic and stems from empathy, niceness can often sweep issues under the rug. This leaves important dynamics to still be acknowledged and the core of the issue still ignored.

[18:50] It feels good to appreciate others for their service and good behavior without expecting anything in return.

[20:16] The more we are authentically kind with ourselves, the more it paves the way for others to do the same.

Shareables:

• "Kindness and empathy are so important to creating and experiencing many things that mean the most to us." @mikedrobbins
• "There's a big difference between being nice and being kind." @mikedrobbins
• "We don't see other people as they are, we see them as we are." @mikedrobbins
• "It's hard to hate people up close." @mikedrobbins

Resources:

Purchase Bring Your Whole Self to Work and gain access to bonus material

Mike Robbins Website

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