The annual celebration of World Goodness Day ( World Kindness Day ), has become a very good tradition for many countries, the date for which was the opening day in 1998 in Tokyo of the 1st conference of the World Kindness Movement ( World Kindness Movement ). The event was attended by representatives of Australia, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Great Britain and the USA ( later other countries ) joined the Movement.
The organization « World Wide Movement » was created in Japan a year earlier, in 1997, and gathered « under its banners » like-minded people of the kindness movement from different countries – volunteers and volunteers, who, from year to year, tirelessly operate around the world and inspire people to do good deeds with their deeds. Today, everyone can join them who wants to do a good, sincere, noble deed. Moreover, the main communication of the Movement participants takes place through the Internet, where on their resources they talk about the ideas of good deeds and how to implement them.
The Movement has its own official document – « Declaration of Goodness », which reads: « We recognize the fundamental importance of simple human kindness as the main condition for satisfying and meaningful life, and with this document we proclaim the creation of the World Movement of Kindness. We will strive to unite through organizations in each country and through the creation of a worldwide network, and create a better and more sympathetic world ».
It was the participants of this organization who proposed creating such a wonderful holiday. World Goodness Day was officially established in Singapore on November 18, 2000 at the 3rd conference of the Kindness Movement.
Doing good – is not difficult at all... ( Photo: Yarygin, licensed by Shutterstock.com )
It is no secret that in the modern high-tech and high-speed world, more and more human feelings and moral qualities fade into the background, and kindness among people has become less than – this fact, unfortunately, is obvious. Therefore, today's holiday – is another reason to recall such a quality and category of human relations as Kindness and to unite the movements for kindness existing in various countries to help people realize, what to do good – is not difficult at all, and the result of good deeds and actions is enormous.
Another goal of World Kindness Day, according to its founders, – to promote the unification of different nations, despite linguistic and cultural differences. After all, only on the basis of sincerely good deeds and actions can unity and mutual understanding be achieved, while preserving identity and uniqueness.
Creating good deeds – is incredibly simple, good is not measured in money, sometimes – does not require much time and effort, the main thing is – to start. Even just a kind smile to a stranger – is already able to work wonders, including for the person who does this good. After all, in addition to the fact that good deeds increase everyone’s mood, they also and do the best to influence well-being, increase the tone of life.
According to a study of psychologists and doctors from different countries, people who do good deeds daily feel better and physically feel their lives more harmonious, have better immunity, which means – they get less sick and live longer. All this is even confirmed by practical research – when a person does something good for other people, his level of lymphocytes rises, and the vessels expand, this leads to the correct work of the heart; the brain produces a large number of endorphins ( known as « pleasure hormones » ), which have a calming effect, neutralize the effects of stress, and facilitate depression. Finally, responsiveness is accompanied by a mental rise bordering on euphoria, which is explained by the development of serotonin hormone that regulates our mood.
Moreover, as the organizers of the holiday call, it is important to be kind disinterested not only on this Day, but also daily and unlimited. After all, if you expect gratitude ( in any manifestation of it ) for its kindness, then this is no longer real Kindness.
By the way, the holiday itself during its existence has its own traditions. So, on Good Day, in addition to good smiles and deeds, it is customary to give familiar and unfamiliar people flowers ( for example, in Singapore – daisies and herbers ), and especially for this Day, the French artist Orel ( Aurele ) created the – open heart symbol.
With each such, in fact, simple act, it becomes better for someone, and therefore more kindness in the world ( Photo: giorgiomtb, licensed by Shutterstock.com )
In Russia, for the first time, Goodness Day was held in 2009 – then in Moscow on Manezhnaya Square, on the initiative of the magazine « Psychologies », a flash mob was held, in which everyone wanted to take part. Those who came to the square at exactly 11-00 hours held hands, forming a large circle in the center of which was the Globe of the World Cup. It was a symbolic sign of solidarity with the whole world and those countries in which the Day of Kindness takes place. On the same day, special Mail Points of Kindness were organized in different places of the capital, where anyone could write good letters to boarding residents for the elderly with words of participation and support. By evening, more than 500 letters were sent to the addresses of residents of boarding schools in the Tula and Vladimir regions.
Join us for this good, wonderful holiday. After all, it’s so simple – smile at the same, hug your parents or friend, compliment your colleague or boss, give flowers to a neighbor or stranger, call your friends and tell them how wonderful they are, cross the road grandmother, but only the one that definitely needs to be on the other side of the carriageway, make and hang a bird feeder on the street, feed a homeless kitten or puppy… This list goes on for a long time. All this will take little time and effort, but the effect will be enormous. After all, with each such, in fact simple act, it becomes better for someone, which means – and more kindness in the world. It is also important to remember that with such matters – manifestations of responsiveness, sympathy, generosity, friendliness, love, nobility – we teach us to do good and our children.
It is advisable, of course, to do good every day, and not just today – on World Good Day.
Recall that annually on February 17, the World celebrates the Day of Spontaneous manifestation of kindness.