International Women’s Day is upon us and some of us have joined in to pledge our support for women everywhere. Here is the link if you choose to join. Locally, in your community, you might consider sharing acts of kindness as a way to contribute and support other women. These acts of kindness can be professional or personal support and/or actions.
According to a UBC Study in 2016 for the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, children who participated in acts of kindness saw a decrease in conflict and an increase in their empathy, ability to be social, and positive moods and happiness. On the Random Acts of Kindness Organization website, a research-based Dartmouth University handout notes that kindness is both teachable and contagious. According to Dartmouth University, acts of kindness tell us that kindness increases the feeling of love, it energizes us, makes us feel pleasure and by volunteering, we increase our lifespan.
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In support of International Women’s Day, let’s show support to our women lawyers, staff and law students and all the women in our lives on March 8th and always. Support starts with kindness. I challenge you to do random acts of kindness and report back to me at shari@lapbc.com. I will follow up with a blog post summarizing your deeds.
Last year, at my previous job, we suggested lawyers perform random acts of kindness. The response was lovely! One memorable act was a lawyer that made jam for her friend’s 80-year-old mother and left it on her front porch. She wrote: “I had engaged in an act of kindness even though it has felt that I have limited resources (emotionally and otherwise) to do so. My best friend is also my neighbour. Her 80-year-old mother came to live with her during this crisis. She is a picky eater in good times, but she loves my home-canned pears and peaches. Once a week I leave a jar for her on the front porch. I can almost hear her squeal with delight from my house.”
By reading this post and others, I was inspired and filled with love. The Dartmouth Handout was right! I hope you are inspired to treat the women in your life near or far to an act of kindness or two or perhaps you can assist a stranger passing by.
Take care and celebrate women through positive action; not only will you put a smile on someone’s face, but you will smile, too.
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