And it's also the preventative to stop hate from happening in the first place.
Yesterday, on my local news, I saw that a group is planning a “day of hate” tomorrow, February 25, 2023, and that the police are warning people in the Jewish and other religious communities to be vigilant and careful.
There is a lot of hate going around lately. All you need to do is watch the news and scroll through social media and you will see it. Hatred towards immigrants, black and brown people, Asian people, those in the LGBTQIA+ communities, trans folk, Jewish people and others with different religious or cultural views.
Why do we see so much hate, and hear so much hate speech lately?
Because political leaders such as Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Marjorie Taylor Green model hateful ways to speak about, act and treat others. And when leaders model unkind, hateful ways to speak and act, they give permission and incite others to act in those ways as well. Unkind leaders and unkind leadership lead to unkindness, hate, violence and physical and mental harm.
That's why the antidote to unkindness and hate is kindness and Kind Leadership.
Because everyone, at some point in their day, is a leader. Whether you are in a formal leadership role or not, as some point in the day, someone is following your lead. If you model acting and speaking unkindly, that is how those who follow you will act. If you lead with kindness, others will as well.
So tomorrow, being vigilant isn't enough to stop the spread of hate. As well as being vigilant, every single one of us needs to take action and stand up to hate and bullying. You can do that by speaking and acting kindly and modeling kindness to others.
Tomorrow, Saturday, February 25th, let's have a “Day of Deliberate Kindness” instead of a day of hate. It's easy to do.
Just plan an act of kindness…and then do it. It doesn’t matter how big or small your act of kindness is.
Because every act of kindness makes a huge, positive difference. Kindness - your kindness - is the antidote to hate. And, maybe even more importantly, when you are wearing your Leader Hat, it's the preventative.
Please lead with kindness and help combat hate and do an act of kindness tomorrow, February 25, 2023.
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