🧠 Weekly Mind Sweep #98| Manage Your Mind | Kindness

November 14, 2023 Jamie Chapman

As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves alone at our desks, in our homes, and with our thoughts.

For me, this opportunity brought a new awareness to these glimpses of the thoughts I would experience about a friend, family member, or colleague—those familiar moments of an experience, conversation, or a sense of joy.

Moments like:

Making a morning cup of coffee and thinking about a dear friend I'd recently enjoyed a cup with
Walking in the neighborhood and seeing a bird that would recall a conversation with someone who'd shared they'd taken up bird-watching
Browsing a gift store and seeing something that your soul knows was meant for someone you care for

I'd sense those moments of joy and be present in the moment. It felt good.

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But then, one day, I made the conscious decision to take action when someone came to mind. I'd decided there might be a reason this person was showing up in my thoughts and realized that I have several ways to share in the joy with the person that came to mind.

Sometimes, that might look like:

sending a text message with a *clink and a purple heart emoji to the friend I love having coffee and croissants with
sending a card with a bird on it to my new bird-watching friend
picking up that gift and giving it to them the next time I see them, just because

Being kind makes us happy.

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"Physiologically, kindness can positively change your brain by boosting levels of serotonin and dopamine. These neurotransmitters produce feelings of satisfaction and well-being and cause the pleasure and reward centers in your brain to light up. Endorphins, your body's natural painkiller, also may be released when you show kindness." [1]

Serotonin tells the brain that this is happiness and joy and helps regulate mood
Dopamine tells the brain this is good, let's do this again, improves mood
Endorphins say to the brain to reduce stress [2], enhance the sense of well-being, and help relieve pain

Kindness is good for the body, too.

"Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy, and compassion [3] and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone directly correlated with stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer." [1]

Helping others can lead to physiological changes in the brain related to happiness.

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Kindness creates:

A sense of belonging - we are social beings! We belong to a community
A different perspective - helping others can put things in perspective in your own life
A chain reaction - Kindness can boost confidence, happiness, and optimism and can encourage others to repeat what they've experienced

Kindness benefits everyone: the giver, the receiver, and the witness.

Each person is a mirror of their environment, which is then, in turn, mirrored by their own behavior. Thanks to mirror neurons, a person's behavior is a reflection of their environment [4]

Ultimately, kindness matters.

Compassion [3] isn't just about reputation. You are laying the foundation for enduring success and creating a legacy that will affect your family, colleagues, and even the world.

The power of kindness will not only improve your entrepreneurial skills but also your mental health, making you happier and more positive.