If I could teach my kids one thing in life it would be this 👆🏼 KIND IS COOL. Now I’m not just talking about being kind to their friends, not gossiping, smiling at strangers, refraining from speaking negatively to others no matter what that person says or does to them, using “please” and “thank you,” lending a helping hand to those in need whether they know them (or like them) or not, and treating everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve. That’s all wonderful and those are expectations I have for my kids but I’m talking about a different kind of kindness...

Being kind TO YOURSELF is cool.

In my eyes, it’s the coolest kind of kindness because honestly, it’s probably the hardest. Being kind to others is easy. Of course we’re all human and we lash out and get angry and say things we wish we could take back, but if you think about it, being hurtful and mean to others takes a lot more work than just being kind.

That guy cuts you off on the freeway and you can just let it go or you can honk and swear and scream and give them the middle finger and drive as fast as you can to get next to them, “show them who’s boss,” speed up again and cut them off. But all for what? What does that do for us other than make us angrier? I don’t know but that seems like a whole lot of effort to me for literally zero positive outcome. 

But the kindness that I believe is the hardest is personal kindness is being kind to yourself.

This pregnancy I’ve felt just so... blah. I feel so not pretty, I feel huge, I don’t feel like I look cute no matter what makeup I put on, how my hair is done or what clothes I’m wearing. I just don’t feel myself. I feel like I embraced my pregnancy with Ava, I gained the weight but I loved every minute of it and I actually felt beautiful in my body. And I don’t know what it is about this pregnancy but I’m just not feeling myself. I don’t feel beautiful and I don’t feel like I love my body the way it is. 

I’ve judged myself harshly for not spending enough time with Ava while I attempt to work full time while pregnant and be a full time stay at home mom, I get frustrated when I can’t get all the laundry done or the house isn’t clean before I go to bed or I feel un-accomplished at the end of the day. And I judge myself for all of this and get frustrated with myself and beat myself down for “failing.” 

Being kind to yourself isn’t always easy but our kids watch us and see our every move, they see us frowning at what we see in the mirror and they sure as heck notice the negativity we place on ourselves. 

When we’re kind to ourselves, our kids learn self-love and they grow up happier and mentally healthier and they learn to love and embrace themselves for who they are, their strengths and their weaknesses, no matter what negativity gets thrown their way in school or through sports or wherever they may be experiencing. When we’re kind to ourselves we’re happier human beings and we’re more inclined to be kind toward others without even thinking about it. When we’re kind to ourselves our lives are positive and happy and I mean, who doesn’t love to be happy? 

Being kind to ourselves is cool. Being kind to ourselves is everything. Being kind to ourselves makes a whole world of a difference in our lives, in our kids lives, and in the lives of every single person we cross paths with in life. Being kind to ourselves is the hardest kind of kindness but the best kind of kindness we can learn. 

Being kind is pretty freakin’ cool. No wait, it’s really freaking cool.