Boo, in the Business of Kindness.
Boo, in the Business of Kindness.
“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
– Jacob Marley, in ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens.
Kindness and business, do they go hand in hand? Not always. What are the words we usually associate with market success? Strength, determination, cut-throat competition. Compassion? Not really. When we recruit staff, is kindness on the assessment criteria? Probably not. Becci has built a business that is built on values, we recruit based on values – and one of our values is kindness.
When we join Team Boo, each of us has our favourite inspirational quote made into artwork. This artworks hangs framed at Boo HQ. We also have it printed on a mug, a coaster, and more recently (because we are down with the kids) onto a pop socket! (If you are not also down with the kids you may have to Google this). We’ve noticed that many of our quotes incidentally relate to kindness. For example,
1. “We rise by lifting others”
This isn’t about personal achievement so much as the feeling of elevation in our hearts when we help someone else. We are uplifted. This is also known as ‘helpers’ high’. You can help someone, somewhere, at any time, by giving: time, money, skills, an item. Do it for nothing, do it with no expectations, keep it a delicious secret – kindness is contagious and will be paid forward eventually. Time and money are finite but happiness isn’t. In fact, it grows exponentially.
We also demonstrate kindness in how we decide to react to others. How do you feel after an argument? How do you feel when you’ve been nice to someone? Which would you like to feel more of? Choosing words of conflict or kindness links to our second quote:
2. “Words are a powerful source of magic”.
In her book ‘Kindness, the Little Thing that Matters Most’, Jamie Thurston (founder of 52 Lives) writes “The right words at the right time can change someone’s life.” Don’t underestimate the impact of a few kind words.
Right now, who can you say something kind to? Didn’t it feel nice thinking it? Does it feel awkward saying it? Get over that awkward feeling and give someone the pleasure of a genuine compliment. When you speak, choose to be an encourager rather than a critic, because our third quote is:
3. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I’m possible.”
Caring for ourselves is key to kindness – in the sense both of loving ourselves and looking after our minds and bodies. If we are burnt out or our self esteem is low, it’s harder to find that space in our hearts for the needs of others. Be kind to yourself, because, as our fourth quote reminds us,
4. “You are enough”.
The brilliant news is that altruism is good for us. Not only does it release all sorts of lovely chemicals in our brain, it is actually beneficial to the cardiovascular system, bringing a sense of connection with humanity which is proven to reduce stress and heart disease. What’s more, a study on the ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ website suggests that kindness makes us feel more energetic, and we also think that it can reduce the effects of ageing! The care we show to other reflects back on ourselves, in a glorious circle – so, as our fifth and final quote advises:
5. “Be kind, be brave, be you”.
It’s difficult to be kind all the time. Sometimes emotions and circumstances get the better of us. Remember, an apology is a kindness. So is forgiveness.
We are currently living through tense and trying times. Fear and uncertainty breed resentment and these negative feelings can cause people to lash out. Understanding this is a kindness.
When we look back at this event in history, with received wisdom, it will seem obvious how to act – with kindness.
Caring for our team, our customers and our community.
#TeamBoo.
