Is Goodness A Core Value? Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a really good person? Well, practising goodness as a core value can have major consequences on how your life plays out. Find out how being good can transform your life.
There are many reasons why should we practice goodness/kindness as a core value?
- The more you practise goodness the more infectious it becomes.
- It has a major impact on your well-being.
- The spirit of goodness is a crucial part of the Christian life.
- There is a strong relationship between mindfulness and being good.
In this article, you’ll discover the transformative nature of why you should practice being good or kind more often.
What Does Goodness Means As A Core Value?
Most of us know when we’re being good because from early on in life we’re rewarded when we’re good and punished when we’re bad.
When we grow up, however, the act of being good becomes slightly more complicated. There are varying degrees of goodness, and what is considered good by one person may not necessarily be the case for another.
However, goodness on a whole is akin to being kind, virtuous or generous. However, there is a clear distinction between something being good for you, such as fruit and vegetables and acts of goodness.
And why should we practice goodness/kindness as a core value?
“Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.”
The overwhelming view is that practizing goodness, like kindness is an important core value. Goodness as a fundamental value acts as a gift that has a life of its own. It resides in the most unexpected places, growing and feeding on other associated positive values such as Humanity, Generosity, Honesty, Trust, Faith, Mercy and a host of other values.
My experience is that being good has connected me to like-minded people who care about humanity. It has acted as a moral compass, keeping me grounded and true to myself.
Goodness as a fundamental value makes you question your behaviour and attitude. It’s like wearing a pair of glasses that allows you to focus and home in on what is really important in life.
“(goodness) resides in the most unexpected places, growing and feeding off goodwill”
Goodness As a Core Value – A Life
Of Its Own
A friend of mine, now a retired social worker told me an interesting story about goodness. As a social worker, she was always busy, and lunchtimes meant that she had a short time to grab some lunch before heading back to the office.
“small acts of kindness can go a long way“
When she eventually retired, what she liked doing most was shopping taking as much time as she needed. The opportunity to take her time shopping appealed because she was no longer busy.
One day she was in the line and noticed a man behind her he had only a few items in this shopping basket, so my friend asked the man if he wanted to go before her in the line. The man was so grateful and said
“Thank you. you’ve made my day.”
“practising acts of kindness made her feel good about herself.”
My friend thought his response was a little over the top and chuckled.
The man immediately turned to her and said:
“you’d be surprised, these days kindness is so hard to come by, you meet people every day, and they never say a word to you. It’s so important to be good to people even if you don’t know them.”
My friend reflected and realized that small acts of kindness can go a long way.
Afterward, she told me how she would sometimes smile at people in the street and would often receive a smile in return. She explained how practicing acts of kindness made her feel positive and how addictive it was.
From my experience, goodness has a life of its own because the more you practice it the more it grows. It has many infectious qualities and the unique ability to change lives by making others feel not only valued but empowered. Being able to smile more is one powerful way of showing kindness. Try a subliminal album that works by sending positive messages into your mind to influence your behavior – to influence you to smile more. Click this link to discover more.
How Do Acts Of Goodness Effect
Our Well-Being?
Acts of kindness aren’t just good for the recipient it good for the donor too.
When we are kind to others it releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin into the bloodstream, which relaxes our bodies and lowers our heart rate and blood pressure – pretty impressive for just doing good.
In fact, scientific studies have proven that acts of kindness release hormones in the brain that boosts our feel-good factor. It also increases serotonin a neurotransmitter that controls our sense of fulfillment and well-being.
“Kindness is also scientifically proven to be good for your heart,”
Science shows that acts of kindness can help ease anxiety. Anxiety is caused when what’s called a low “positive affect” (PA) which controls our levels of happiness, joy, and attentiveness is severely reduced. This affects our psychological and responsive functioning.
Kindness is also scientifically proven to be good for your heart because when you’re kind to others the hormone oxytocin releases nitric oxide in the blood vessels which widens the vessels and reduces blood pressure.
“Being kind to others…….acts as a form of medicine”
Acts of kindness also help develop positive and meaningful relationships helping to reduce stress levels. Again science has proven it can help prevent illnesses such as cancer, severe pain, bowel disease, obesity. It can also reduce rheumatoid arthritis, by decreasing the level of inflammation.
Practicing kindness actually increases the levels of oxytocin in your body which also reduces the levels of inflammation. Just like the law of attraction, you can attract what you think so if you are a good person, you’re more likely to attract people like you. Discover how the law of attraction can transform your life by clicking this link.
The act of being kind to others, therefore, is a form of medicine.
How Can We Practice Goodness As
A Core Value More Often?
“You know someone is truly special when the most beautiful thing they have on is a kind soul.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo
When we listen to the news, it is easy to think there are more acts of harm and violence than acts of goodness. However, studies show quite the positive is true.
We’ve seen that acts of kindness come in many forms it might just be letting someone be first in line or setting up a charity to help a disadvantaged group, or simply listening to someone who needs support.
But sometimes we can get caught up in seeing the negative and wrongly believe there are more people ready to harm them to help.
Take a moment to look around the room your currently in, count how many objects in the room are red. Then, without looking around the room, close your eyes and count how many objects in the room are black.
“However, goodness and kindness are important Christian values“
Unless you have a photographic memory, you’re more likely to recall the items that are red than black. This is because you were focusing on things that are red and not black. In the same way, if you’re your focus is looking for negative and harmful experiences, you’re more likely to find them.
“enrich and improve your life.“
This is why people who suffer from depression are more likely to see the negative things that happen in life rather than the positive.
Christians see goodness and kindness as the fruits of the spirit.
(Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
As a Christian, I believe that my belief helps me look at life in a positive light and see goodness beyond the darkness.
What Happens If You Have A Negative Bias?
If you’re suffering from depression or anxiety or have gone through trauma in your life you’re more likely to focus on negative experiences.
Research shows that we can pass on this negative bias to our children. For example, you see a man running frantically out of a shop chasing after a woman.
This affects the lens through which you view the world which becomes distorted.
so, if you have a negative bias, you’re more likely to think he’s attempting to harm the women. When in reality, however, the man is trying to return the handbag she’d inadvertently left in the shop.
Goodness Helps You Avoid Bad Health
However, it is vitally important to deal with having a negative bias because the long-term effects can shorten our life. It can also lead to physical diseases such as heart disease, asthma, obesity, diabetes, stress, and headaches.
A study was conducted on a man who admitted to having a strong negative bias. He admitted to believing the worst about people and had a pessimistic outlook.
“The acts of kindness and appreciation he has shown to others.”
However, he started practicing mindfulness regularly geared at highlighting his strong negative bias and replacing it with a positive cognitive outlook. His meditation focussed on an exploration of the positive things in his life and realigning it with his thought based on reality and not supposition.
He was asked to focus on the following:
The happiness in his marriage.
His love for his daughter.
What made him feel grateful.
What made him feel happy.
The things that made him laugh.
The acts of kindness and appreciation he has shown to others.
The Relationship Between Mindfulness And Goodness As A Core Value
The positive effects of mindfulness made him more balanced and less prone to negativity. It also helped him recentred his life so that he could see the positive things happening around him and not just the negative.
In fact, experts have used ‘positive focus thinking’ to tackle extremist beliefs, racist, misogynists, and islamophobia views have used similarly.
In addition, in the United Kingdom, the government is testing mindfulness on school children as a way of helping them focus on the present, and build self-awareness and self-esteem.
“To create serious transformational change in your life using positive core values“
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“If you change your mind you can change your life”
— William James
Focussing on goodness as a core value is one way of making James’ statement become a reality.
Not only does being good transform your life by making you healthier, but it can also strengthen your relationships with others. Positive goodwill also creates major positives in the community which will ripple out into the wider world.
We should therefore all try to promote acts of goodness and kindness in our daily lives and make it a lasting core value.
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