Every day, we are given reasons to believe the world is becoming more divided, more impatient, and less kind.
Spend enough time online and it can start to feel like negativity is the norm. The loudest voices often get the most attention, and over time, that can quietly shape how we see other people. Research paints a different picture though.
In one study, researchers intentionally “lost” wallets in cities all over the world. Most people predicted the wallets would rarely be returned. They were wrong. The wallets came back nearly twice as often as expected. That matters more than it might seem.
The way we see the world affects the way we move through it. If we expect selfishness, we become more guarded and more disconnected. We become less willing to trust, help, or reach out. When we believe there is good in people though, we tend to notice more of it, and contribute more of it ourselves.
We see this a lot at Okami Kai. We see students encouraging each other after a difficult class. We see parents helping nervous children feel brave enough to step onto the mats for the first time. We see people from different backgrounds training together, supporting each other, and becoming stronger together.
Kindness is not weakness. It is one of the few things that consistently makes people stronger.
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Simple advice. Difficult to live consistently. But worth trying.
So here’s a small challenge for this week.
Reach out to someone. Send the message. Offer the encouragement. Ask the question. Share the idea you’ve been holding onto. There’s a good chance the response you receive will be better than you expect.
People are kinder than we often give them credit for and maybe the world becomes a little better each time someone chooses to believe that.
By Scott Campsall, Chief Instructor and Owner of Okami Kai Martial Arts and Fitness in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada