Optimism and Kindness are Contagious

by Victor Perton

Kindness and optimism are two traits that positively impact people's lives: There is a strong connection between the two. Kindness and optimism have the power to transform lives in the most beautiful and meaningful ways! These two extraordinary traits can truly work wonders, bringing a ray of hope and light to even the darkest of moments.

Kindness is being considerate, generous, and empathetic towards others. At its simplest, optimism is an expectation that good things will happen and that things will work out in the end.

Nicola Hepenstall told me that small acts of kindness can make a big difference. She is optimistic because she knows she can change people's lives by doing small acts of kindness. She believes that the little things matter the most, and she can do them each day. Professor Catherine Crock AM, Chair and Founder of the Hush Foundation, shares a similar sentiment. She believes that kindness and goodwill are contagious, and interacting with them can bring good things in life.

Mimi Kwa emphasizes that kindness and optimism are contagious and good for physical and mental health. Spreading positivity and kindness can be done for selfish or selfless reasons, but the result is the same. Louisa Keck also believes finding small pockets of kindness and good in daily life can bring optimism. Appreciating the moments that make us smile, the people in our lives, and the life we get to create with them can generate gratitude and excitement.

Diane Kilkenny believes that random acts of human kindness come from where you least expect them and when you need them the most. Michelle Clement agrees and sees humans being kind to one another as one of the sources of her optimism. Debby Lissaur, Chief Positivity Instigator at Optimism, Inc., feels optimistic when she sees random acts of kindness and has meaningful, hope-filled conversations with random strangers. She believes that no matter how bleak things seem, it is a passing moment in time, and humanity always prevails.

Elizabeth Lim believes that helping those around us see the world in a more optimistic light harnesses the kindness in humankind and sustains the peace and tranquillity we all deserve in our lives. Christina Pagano has confidence in the essential goodness of the world's citizens, who aim to do their best in the day and execute remarkable acts of kindness. Diksha Dutta believes that optimism is hard work, but it is also magic. So she made it a habit, and soon she experienced events that made her believe that magic happens to those who combine hard work with kindness, positivity, and optimism.

Stephen Cornelissen is optimistic when he sees ordinary people doing extraordinary things with kindness and courage, creating change for themselves and others. Sonia McDonald believes optimistic leadership is about being brave, kind, and courageous. It means knowing we can overcome anything and focusing on being authentic and kind to ourselves and others.

As an optimist, Karen Stanford feels lucky to see hope everywhere: She sees inspiring people following their dreams, people being kind to each other, and children giving her reason to be optimistic every day. Likewise, Lori Lewis believes that helping others without expecting anything creates eternal optimism. One small act of kindness reminds us that we are never alone and genuinely are here to give, not to receive.

Libby Mears is optimistic when she sees the strength of communities that have overcome adversity, seeing people included who are usually excluded and people willing to display gentleness and empathy.

Stephen Cornelissen, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood

“Leadership is a capability that exists in every person. We see so many examples of it each and every day, from walking down the street, seeing our colleagues at work, watching the news or witnessing acts of great kindness and/or courage. The unassuming people who undertake these acts are those I find infectiously optimistic; ordinary people doing what essentially should be ordinary things but doing them extraordinarily well. These are the people who go about creating change for themselves and others in a way that really matters."

Fi Bendall

“In an era where people’s mistrust of government and business is at all-time high. Where we as people simply don’t believe and at times don't believe in each other, optimism needs to thrive. But how? Humans need hope and hope needs humans. The most amazing stories of human kindness, and warmth still permeate this “mistrusting world” we live in. In a world crisis, everyday heroes rise to the top in their kindness to others. In terror on our streets, people rush to help people. On the street look around you for daily inspiration to be optimistic…only today I saw people on the street rushing to help an old lady with her groceries that had spilt all over the sidewalk in Manhattan. The human being still embodies hope and optimism to drive and change our world for better. The more technology speeds at us, the more we need to touch and feel human kindness. Kindness breeds optimism, and optimism breeds hope. We have to hold on to that as our pessimism and mistrust is a weakness, our optimism and belief is our true power and empowerment.”

The Kindness Diaries star, Leon Logothetis

"This is a fun exercise that builds your kindness and courage muscles. Be first to smile at someone as you pass them on the street and make eye contact with them. We can get so focused on ourselves and shut the world out, but it doesn't have to be like that. Instead of waiting for someone to speak to you, take that leap to be the first to say hello, or to smile, or ask them how they are. I promise this will be a game changer for you in your life!"

Victor Perton

Ancient meditation practices like the “Loving Kindness” meditation and related compassion meditations are particularly beneficial. Compassion meditation strengthens the connection between the prefrontal cortex and the brain’s circuits for optimism, joy and happiness. The benefits are apparent right from the beginning of meditation practice and they increase with time spent.

By opening your heart and mind, meditation provides lasting feelings of peace and serenity while creating tremendously positive changes in your life. Staying positive, and its array of life-transforming benefits can be easily learned and integrated into your life starting right now!

Pico Iyer

“So why am I an optimist? Partly because I’ve been working in the mainstream media for 35 years now, and I know not to trust it. It’s always a single act of brutality that captures headlines, while a hundred acts of everyday kindness are ignored, and more and more, in the global neighborhood, our “news” is just the equivalent of small-town gossip. We’re living in the age of Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama and more charitable efforts than ever before, but it’ll always be the Las Vegas gunman or the ISIS operative with a knife who knows how to dominate our attention. My optimism comes from a deeper source, though, than simply knowing that what we hear and read isn’t a fair register of what is really happening. As a traveller, I witness everyday people whose lives are much more nuanced and often brighter than our notions of them."