“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” –Jane Goodall
I love this quote by Jane Goodall, as it reminds us that kindness is a choice, and not always an easy one. Don’t be afraid to take the high road and choose kindness, even in a difficult conversation. Perhaps when we’re with animals, we find it easier to choose kindness. However this can be hard to remember in the online culture, where people often hide behind their computers and make critical comments that they would never say to someone’s face. As members of the Animal Reiki Community I invite each of you to help me make a positive difference in the world by practicing kindness on social media.
Some of the meanest online conversations I’ve seen were Reiki people criticizing other Reiki people online because they disagree with their lineage or teachings. In fact, just last week I had to leave an Animal Reiki online group because, due to negative comments about me by several members, I no longer felt safe and supported there.
To help us make sure we’re choosing kindness, we can place the veil of the precepts over our comments before we post.
Just for today: Do not anger Do not worry Be grateful Work diligently Be kind to others
Does your comment come from a place of anger or fear? Before you comment: think about the effect your comments may have on someone else. If it’s not kind, don’t write it. There is no need to contribute to the incredible negativity already present on social media, and shouldn’t we, as Reiki practitioners, try to be models for another kinder way of being in the world? Plus, if we’re constantly fighting amongst ourselves, how can we expect others to believe our peaceful spiritual practice is effective?
[bctt tweet=”It’s not enough to just avoid meanness. We, as Reiki practitioners, should be leading the way for others by promoting positive values.” username=”ARS_animalreiki”]
It’s not enough to just avoid meanness. We, as Reiki practitioners, should be leading the way for others by promoting positive values. If we moderate an online Reiki community, it’s our responsibility to make sure we are modeling kindness for our members, for they will follow our example.
Before commenting online, we can also ask ourselves these questions: When you choose to take part in online discussions, are your comments helping others to cultivate gratitude and kindness? Is your online presence promoting compassion and positivity in the world? Sure it’s easy to respond to someone you disagree with by making a snarky comment, but why not just step away from those conversations and instead use your energy to contribute to a conversation that creates smiles instead?
Another way to step back from a negative conversation is to take a moment to assume the best about the person you are commenting on: Don’t just verbally strike out at the person – first stop and consider where they are coming from. Different points of view can be discussed from a place of grace and generosity, rather than ego and/or personal attacks.
Remember too, that your negative comments can come back to haunt you. Social media posts can later on be revisited by others and then taken out of context. Just one unkind post can begin to define you online and you might lose the respect of a peer, the trust of a friend or even a job!
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, remember the law of attraction: what you give out comes back to you tenfold, so why not choose to radiate kindness? You’ll find yourself attracting kindness and compassion from others many times over! Want to create a radiance of lovingkindness through chanting the Reiki precepts in Japanese? CLICK HERE to learn this powerful practice.
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.” – Albert Schweitzer