Be Kind: It’s More than Just a State of Mind
Being a woman is more than just being feminine. Working in the corporate world or even at home, we often forget to be kind to others and just continue being overly competitive and what not. We might feel that since we’re women that we shouldn’t really consider kindness as a strength when it truly is. How many times is that when we do something out of kindness that it’s considered a weakness? It’s time to forget that and see past that. Be kind because it’s more than just a state of mind; it’s a source of strength.
Being kind might mean different things to different people. You might have a good career, be in a good job position, and you might even have a great sense of style and wear nice clothes and all, but the moment you’re rude to someone, forget it. That’s the moment you lose all your power, your true strength. Being kind doesn’t mean talking in a super artificially nice tone or whatever; it’s much more than that. You need to take into consideration what the other person is saying, especially in the workplace. The moment you listen is when you start to see what really matters. That’s real kindness and that’s real power.
As a woman, you might feel that being kind means that you can’t get the high-powered job that you want or you might feel that you’re unable to get much done on your own at home, but that’s certainly not true! Being kind doesn’t mean you have to give others credit for the work that you did or not point out a task that could have been done better; it simply means that you say something with the utmost frankness but in the most diplomatic way possible. It could be that the drycleaners burnt your favorite dress or that at work someone didn’t email you on time, but you have to say something otherwise the same things might happen all over again. You must be kind when you say the truth.
We’re all human and it’s okay if things go wrong. No one’s perfect. Being kind is a source of strength, not a sign of weakness, even if you are a woman. No matter what your gender is, kindness is power. Be kind but don’t forget to say the truth when needed.
Shefali is the author of Own It! Love What You Already Have of which all book proceeds go toward good causes. She is an executive at her family’s business, and board director for two other companies. She’s an alumna of Columbia Business School in New York City and Drexel University. She lives in Dubai with her husband and continues to travel for work. To learn more, visit shefalikarani.com