Kindness & The Confidant

Day 11: Kindness & The Confidant

“A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you.” -Unknown

A confidant is a close friend to whom secrets are confided or with whom private matters and problems are discussed. We all need to have at least one if not a few special friends that we can call when feeling down and sad. Someone we can share the ugly truths to and know without a doubt that she will not judge. She will believe in you when you no longer believe in yourself. She will fill you up when you are empty.  Be the surrogate inner voice when yours has gone dark, mean and fearful. The friend that will tell you that you are beautiful inside and out, that you are awesome and capable of anything.

Maybe this person is an old friend, your mother, a grandparent, a sponsor or even a paid listener. Whomever it is, it is vital that we have these people in our lives. They are the people that pick us up, dust us off and give us a great big hug. These people are our supporters and cheerleaders.

1. Kindness to Self:

   Sometimes we find ourselves in a dark place and we just cannot seem to find that inner voice that will guide us. It is at these times that we can reach out to our confidant, our friend, our cheerleader and lean on her. Let her be that kind voice, the warm hug and the tenderness that we need.

2. Kindness to Others:

   Being a confidant and trustworthy friend is a priceless gift that we can both enjoy as the receiver and the giver. Remember to always treat your friends and loved ones the way you would like to be treated: with kindness, understanding, tenderness and acceptance.

3. Kindness to Strangers:

   So how can we practice being a confidant when it comes to strangers? Well one way is to always give people the benefit of the doubt. I recently was at a party and was warned by an acquaintance to stay away from a certain person because they were “bad news.” Instead of listening to that person, I decided to engage with an open heart and found the person to be quite lovely. The point is, we always have the choice to be open and accepting, instead of closed and suspicious.  Treat people with kindness and usually it comes back.

4. Kindness to Our Planet:

   How can we be a confidant when it comes to our planet? We can decide to be a person who will research, discuss and commit to being part of the solution when it comes to conservation and care of our planet.

Jennifer Palazzo

Photo Courtesy of FreeImages.com/BobbiDombrowski