Jack Canfield argues that kindness is the greatest gift you can give this season. He cites research showing compassion strengthens your immune system and heart, improves relationships, and costs nothing. He suggests concrete acts: call someone, volunteer, or practice self-care.
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Hi there. I'm Jack Canfield, the co creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the author of the Success Principles. And I'm glad you clicked on this video because I have an important holiday message to share with you today. At this time of year, people often ask me what my recommendations are for good gifts to give people during the holiday season. My regular suggestions are things like books or holidays. You can give them, you can send them on a trip, a piece of art, jewelry, depending on the person asking. But this year, my number one gift recommendation for everyone is the same. And the great thing is, this gift works for absolutely everyone on your list, including yourself. And it doesn't cost a dime to give. So what exactly is this incredibly valuable gift? Now, this incredibly valuable gift is kindness. Now, I know that might sound a bit trite or obvious, but I'm really serious about this. This year, more than ever before, the most important gift you can offer absolutely everyone in your world is simple kindness. And I guarantee it's what everyone needs right now and what they will appreciate most, even if they're not consciously aware of it at the moment. Because the fact is, we've all gone through a crazy couple of years. There's been the pandemic, which has gone on way longer than most people anticipated, the fractious election here in the US and the ongoing social and political divisiveness, the economic upheaval many people have experienced, as well as natural disasters like drought and floods and hurricanes and forest fires that have caused so much damage all over the world. It's been a lot for all of us to deal with. And so, understandably, many people are tired and emotionally exhausted, and they have frayed nerves from having to deal with so much unrelenting stress and uncertainty in their lives. And when people are feeling tired and emotionally frayed, they have less control over their thoughts, their emotions, and their actions. And they're more likely to make bad decisions and act in ways that actually don't serve them. And that, of course, only increases their stress even more, as well as the stress of everyone who has to deal with them. And that's why I believe the greatest gift you can give people, and like I said, that includes yourself as well, is the gift of kindness. Now, if you see people doing or saying something stupid, be kind and forgive them for it. Remember everything they're going through, which may include challenges that you're not even aware of. And instead of reacting with anger or intolerance or impatience, give them your compassion and kindness instead, because they need it. And so do you. I'm not just saying this from a moral perspective either. Scientific research has actually proven that practicing compassion for yourself and others is actually good for you and can improve your life as well in many ways. For example, practicing compassion can reduce the risk of heart disease by boosting the effective functioning of your vagus nerve, which helps to slow your heart rate. It also can make you more resilient to stress and strengthen your immune response so that you don't get sick as easily, which is especially important right now. Compassion also allows you to be more adept in social situations, so you're more able to form healthier and stronger relationships with others. And the healthier relationships are, and the more positive connections you have with the people in your world, the happier and more fulfilling your life is going to be. And of course, when you show compassion to others, you're often able to lower their stress levels and diffuse tense situations by helping them become calmer and more considerate as well. So this holiday season, I strongly encourage you to look for opportunities to be kind and spread more joy in the world. Give more compliments, go out of your way to put a smile on someone's face and lend a helping hand when you can, and give people the benefit of the doubt and be kind to strangers with no expectations of anything in return. Now this can be as simple as asking the person at the checkout counter at the supermarket how their day is going. If you have to deal with someone who's acting poorly or doing something that you think isn't in their best interest, just remember that they are probably going through something very challenging right now and extend some extra loving kindness toward them. And if they do something harmful or foolish or treat you unkindly, make sure to respond with patience. And by doing so, I guarantee you will make the world a better place and have good things come back to you in ways you can't even predict. And finally, remember to be extra kind to yourself as well. When you notice yourself feeling frustrated or sad or angry, or you do or say something you regret, cut yourself some slack and remember that you too have been going through some challenging stuff. And then give yourself some self care, such as go get a massage or take a warm bath or do some yoga, drink some herbal tea, or do a guided loving kindness meditation to help you relax and replenish your frayed nervous system. Kindness is such an important and often overlooked practice, and I deeply believe that we could solve many of the world's problems simply by encouraging more people to lean into their own compassion and focus on being a little kinder to people because kindness brings us closer together and we are going to need to come together and work together to solve all of the big problems that currently face us and create a brighter future for all of us. And kindness is one of the main keys to making it happen. Now, before I go, what I'd love you to do right now is identify at least one person you're going to show kindness and compassion to this week. Now, it could be a family member, a friend, a neighbor down the street, or a colleague at work. And if you're so inspired, take a minute to declare your commitment to taking that action in the comments below and it may inspire someone else to do something very similar. And if you found this video helpful, please make sure you like it, share it with a friend who may need it, and subscribe to this channel for more videos like this one, and for some additional tools and videos on how to change your life for the better, be sure to check out the resource page on jackcampfield.com there's a ton of great free material there. So thanks again for watching and have a great day.
