"Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself," Chief Seattle. Such wisdom expressed long before the effects of acts of kindness has been proven over and over in research projects.
Author Deb Sandella cites one research project where people are shown movies in which Mother Theresa is ministering to the poor of India. During and after watching such movies, the peoples' immune systems improved. This was true for everyone; even young school boys who acted silly during the movie. There have been many other research projects that show our actions affect others, and that acts of kindness - even if we are not the ones performing the kindness - affect our bodies in positive ways.
On Monday I gave a presentation to school personnel. As part of that presentation I included how to create an environment of tolerance and hope in schools. Acts of kindness demonstrated by the adults in the school do impact the environment and how the students act toward themselves and one another. Research has also demonstrated that a person's self esteem is increased by contributing to and helping others.
Many reasons to practice kindness: When we are kind to others, we also benefit. Perhaps this can give an extra layer of meaning to people who are giving care to someone with a terminal illness.
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