Editorial: A community organization helping us to ‘Find the Kind’

This editorial is a shout out to Kind Defined, a local nonprofit community organization quietly striving to make a difference that’s perhaps needed now more than ever in many of our lives, especially for our children.

The tagline on the kinddefined.org website explains their message with these words, “A small act of kindness can make a world of difference!”

On their website organizers explain, “Our goal is to create citizens that actively seek to have a positive impact on their community and sphere of influence. The positive impact that the Kind Defined community may have on their community may not seem world changing from the outside looking in, but these small acts of kindness make a world of difference to the recipient.”

In a recent Kind Defined post the organization wrote, “Today’s youth are growing up in a different world, a world of social media hashtags, trending topics, and Instagram perfect photos. Despite the benefits that our current technology brings us, current studies suggest that young people today are feeling the strain of being ‘on’ all the time. In fact, one study shows that with each successive younger generation, people are feeling lonelier and more depressed!”

Harvard researcher and positive psychology expert Shawn Achor discovered through extensive research that anyone can retrain their brain to be positive. The secret? Perform random acts of kindness for 2 minutes a day for 21 days.

With this in mind, Kind Defined recently launched what they called a two week “Kindness Challenge” in which they invite quad-city area residents of all ages to choose a simple act of kindness each day to complete. On their website they provide a list of 100 examples of small acts of kindness you can try, or you can choose one of your own.

A few of their examples include:

• Take a shopping cart back to the store or cart corral.

• Take your neighbor’s trash cans in for them.

• Write a special note to someone (place in car, lunch, etc.).

• Smile and give a compliment to an acquaintance.

• Hold the door for someone.

The Daily Courier recently received a letter from Prescott resident Debbie Stewart, who participated in the Kindness Challenge.

Debbie wrote:

“The challenge involves performing an act of kindness each day, and I’ve tried to choose something I would not ordinarily do. The act of kindness I chose for today is submitting this letter to the editor, encouraging everyone to be kind to one another. As we continue to face challenges associated with the virus, as well as civil unrest and divisiveness in our country, I invite you to perform random acts of kindness, such as offering a compliment instead of a criticism. We often have no idea what someone else is going through. Your act of kindness may be just what someone needs to make it through a difficult day. I’d like to thank Kara Peterson and Kind Defined, for being a force for good. Don’t ever give up - kindness will prevail!”

The Courier also thanks Kara (Kind Defined executive director), and all the members of the Kind Defined Board of Directors. And thank you, Debbie, for your letter.

Kind Defined has extended their Kindness Challenge campaign through Aug. 23. They have also partnered with Target to hold a Kindness Sticker Contest now through Aug. 28 for children 9 to 12. See their website at kinddefined.org to learn how you can get involved. Or visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/KindDefined.


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