National Kindness Day starts 16 days of kindness

November 6 is National Kindness Day in Australia, and starts the 16 days of kindness from 6-21 November.

Why be kind? Well the most obvious answer is that kindness creates a better world for us all to enjoy.

The Australian Kindness Movement makes for a convincing case. The following quote comes from their site. (Follow the link above to learn more and here for suggestions of how to contribute to the celebration of kindness.)

"Being kind is an enjoyable experience. It makes you feel good, and useful, and alive, and it validates you as a human being. When you are kind it triggers a number of beneficial physical and psychological responses. The most obvious response is the 'feel good' sensation,which has been officially titled the "helper's high".

The person who receives a kind act experiences the 'feel good' response, too. It's a nice experience when someone smiles at you, or thanks you, or compliments you, or helps you in some way. It creates a bonding, and in that moment there is a greater sense of worth about yourself and people in general. It is a feeling akin to falling in love, and in that moment you have fallen in love - with the whole of humanity."