Society is forged on togetherness — looking out for one another. Barry encourages people to be kind and compassionate to those around them. According to Barry, the world is a tough place to navigate, filled with setbacks and dead ends. That is why it is important to foster virtues like kindness and compassion.
Barry believes these virtues are crucial for social and emotional development. They help people reduce stress levels and revel in the sense of community. To foster these virtues, Barry encourages people to practice the following:
- Prioritize positivity
Admittedly, some days are more complicated than others, and you just want to curse anything and everything around you. However, if you focus on positivity, you begin to model compassion. This will help you treat those around you with kindness. Barry says it is essential to remember not to take out your frustrations on others. It is also crucial to be understanding of other people’s struggles.
- Be authentic
Barry says fake kindness and compassion are worse than not practicing these virtues at all. Being kind and compassionate doesn’t mean you like everyone all the time, or you speak and think positively all day. It is important to validate your feelings by being true to yourself. That is how it becomes easier to be kind and accurately point out when people are kind to you. Barry encourages people to uphold these values even as they outgrow friendships and relationships and move on to others.
- Give back to the community.
Barry says that this presents a unique opportunity to widen your understanding of other people’s struggles. This will teach you gratitude and make you more aware. Practicing mindfulness goes a long way in fostering kindness and compassion.
Encourage kindness in the people around you; that is one of the best ways to make the world a better place, says Barry.