Recapping on my OneWord for 2013... {Kindness}

(Image was sent to me from a friend)

{Kindness} was my OneWord for 2013.

Kindness {noun} a quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.

Kindness is such a big deal for me and it's a value I have been growing in my girls from small... {kindness first, at all costs} and we honestly try to live by it.  I would like to say I cracked it all the time - but I know I didn't.  The more I dwelt on this word and consciously acted it out, the more I knew kindness was completely wrapped in generosity and I just can't seem to separate the two - which in turn lead me right to the door of abundance.

I think we have the tendency to take {kindness} for granted, in giving it but especially in receiving it.  To me, there is beauty in {kindness} and I believe it's fast becoming a rare gift.  I absolutely love that it's a tangible thing you can see in a person's face and I long for that.

But my question to you and where I was at times challenged... is how do you operate in {kindness} in a world that is governed by self and speaks the harsh language of selfishness and is often at times, rude.

Let's be honest, it's really easy to be kind to kind people and even easier to be kind to people who give back!

But how do we exercise this when it is uncomfortable?

My other challenge is how do you remain true to {kindness} without feeling taken for granted especially when {kindness} is mistaken for weakness.   How do we find the balance without loosing our voice (my constant struggle)?

Do we switch it on and off when it suits us or when it's easy or difficult?

I would like to say I remained authentic to this value in it's truest form as well as being wise?

As a free gift of grace, in spite of another person's values and quite possibly in spite of myself.  I tried to be wise in the ways I displayed generosity and I was selective so I didn't burn out and when my value was challenged - I had to dig deep so I wasn't governed by another person's behavior but rather by kindness, itself.

With every conscious decision to operate in {kindness} as a choice - it came back to me in abundance.

I loved that!  It's like the unspoken universal law at play!

Being mindful of this this year has made me value every single act of {kindness} I received and gave, as treasured gifts!  And I received so much in return this year... I found {kindness} in abundance and I made some beautiful new friends from all over the world!

And I will never forget that... that 2013 was my year of {kindness}, generosity and abundance, in both giving and receiving.

Long may the value of {kindness} continue to grow in me and my family!