I traveled to Boston recently to spend the week with my daughter & her fiance.
I basked in the beautiful sunshine, unseasonably warm temperatures, and the rainbow of fall colors on the leaves of their trees in their yard.
I was spoiled with really good home cooked meals, walks on a lovely trail, card games, good talks, lots of laughs, and very pleasant gatherings with their friends whom I love as well.
I spent time watching shows I enjoy and new ones to me. I read a lot. I delighted in the sixteen turkeys that walked by one morning clueless I was gawking at them through the bay window mesmerized.
One afternoon we traveled to a nearby town and perused the local downtown shops filled with every kind of colorful, creative product you could imagine. I blissed out on everything from the wide eyed cat tea towels to the stunning mosaic plates to homemade soaps, candles, and bath bombs.
Suddenly, I became melancholy. My joy turned to the realization that I do not allow myself enough creative time. My life does not have enough color in it to make me happy, and I need to change.
In my most recent podcast interview with “The Kindness Advantage Podcast” host, Cindy Rowe, she talked about the importance of being selfish, allowing ourselves to live our lives as we see fit and make our personal joy a priority.
She shared, “Kindness starts within and then the ripple effect that never ends begins to grow.”
In other words, when we are happy and fulfilled, we pass that on to others through kindness, and then they pass it on. When we intentionally build kindness towards ourselves as a foundational value in our lives, everyone wins.
Are you happy?
Are you fulfilled?
What can you do today to be more selfish in a way that benefits everyone?
World Kindness Day is this Friday, November 13, 2026. How about we celebrate this together by being kind to ourselves so we have the bandwidth to go beyond ourselves and show kindnesses to others?
As for me, I’m going to check out the latest offerings at the arts center in my town and perhaps sign up for a class. And on World Kindness Day, I’m attending a fundraiser for the local humane society to give back in a small but meaningful way in honor of my sweet cat, Pebble, who died last year.
Do what you can, when you can, however you can.
Remember, it starts with you.