Kindness and Hope

https://unsplash.com/@stefanovaltorta

"A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world. A society that looks to the future with confidence and treats people with respect and empathy is more humane.

"Even if we do not know what tomorrow may hold for us, we should not look to the future with pessimism and resignation.

"War, social injustices and the many forms of violence we are exposed to everyday should not dishearten us nor draw us towards scepticism and discouragement.

“We choose love, and love makes our hearts fervent and hopeful. Those who love, even if they find themselves in uncertain situations, always view the world with a gentle gaze of hope.

“Kindness is a form of love that opens hearts to acceptance and helps us all to become more humble. And how important humility is – humility lends itself to dialogue, helps to overcome misunderstandings and generates gratitude.” (Pope Francis)

Pope Francis died today, aged 88. I'm not a Roman Catholic, or indeed a Christian, but his words (above) on kindness on 'Thought for the Day' message on BBC Radio 4, at the end of last year, I found thought-provoking and moving. Click here to listen. 

Click here for a Loving Kindness meditation. 

Look at the writing prompts below to explore your own thoughts on kindness, hope and love. 

Writing prompts:

• Write about what ' beautiful world' 'full of hope and kindness' looks like.
• Is it easy to look to the future with hope and optimism, rather than 'pessimism and resignation'? Explore this question in your writing. 
• Do you agree that kindness is a form of love that helps us to become more humble? Write about your own experience.
• Are there 'misunderstandings' in your life right now? If so, do you think they could be overcome with more humility that might lead to dialogue? 
• Write a letter, full of kindness and gratitude, to someone you love, but have some difficulty with at the moment. Decide then whether or not you want to post it.