people out there , yet I have chosen to be kind to Winston . And if that ’ s true , which it is , then why can ’ t I choose to be kind to you ?” Logothetis ’ s challenge to attendees was to spend five days showering one specific person in their lives with kindness .
Whether the target of that kindness is a family member , a colleague or a perpetually upset guest , Logothetis predicted that just five days of intentional kindness will transform that person ’ s relationship to both the attendee and themselves .“ I promise you that if you give that person five days of unadulterated attention and love , their relationship with you and their relationship with themselves will change ,” he said . By committing to be a source of support and positivity for someone else , we give them permission to be
kind to themselves . At the same time , practicing kindness as a purposeful habit — divorced from the specifics of our own circumstance — makes it easier to do as time goes on . As Logothetis put it ,“ It ’ s very , very easy to be kind when you ’ ve just won the lottery , right ? It ’ s not so easy to be kind when … someone has flipped you off on the freeway or your latte is one degree too hot . It ’ s easy to be kind when everything is going according to plan .”
The effects of this type of kindness are irrefutable , and Logothetis ’ s life is a testament to that truth .“ All you need [ to do ] to be a hero is — you guessed it — be kind ,” he said , before sharing a story about his own personal hero .“ I was bullied every day at school ,” he explained .“ And I had one teacher who would look at me every day , and she would say ,‘ I believe in you .’ Every day . She was my hero , and I wouldn ’ t be here today if it wasn ’ t for her . And I ’ m sure that you too have a hero , someone who made you feel magnificent when you felt far from being magnificent , someone who lifted you up when you didn ’ t have the strength to do it yourself .”
The power that kindness gives us to have a profound impact on others — to make them feel truly seen and give them the fuel to live their best lives — is immense . As Logothetis reminded attendees shortly before he left the stages , it is up to each of us to decide how to wield that power .“ I hope that you choose wisely ,” he said . “ Because there are people like me and like you who need a hero to help them .” n
“ People often say to me , ‘ You ’ re the kindness guy . What does kindness mean to you ?’ The truth is that kindness is simply helping someone feel less alone .”
26 PULSE n AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2022