Unlock Your Kindness – James Brown

As I write this, the 46th President of the United States is about to be sworn in. His self-imposed mission: “To restore the soul of our nation”. May I suggest that each of us do our part — by unlocking our kindness.

We all have it in us. But sometimes we’re not sure how to get it out — how to express it. And let’s face it. If there’s anything the world needs more of right now — it’s kindness, empathy and respect.

Let’s say you’re White and you want to reach out to a Black friend, deeply affected by racial injustice. What should you say, or not say, to express your support? Or maybe you’re a boss at a loss for words on how to encourage your employee to reach her potential. Where should you turn for advice?

There are any number of tricky scenarios and relationships we must all navigate, hopefully without getting tripped up. My guest on this week’s Our Voices Matter podcast is on a mission to help us all get it right, and bind the connections that make us human.

As the Chief Encouragement Officer of EncourageX, James Brown and his team give us the language and the tools to say I see you — I hear you — you matter. In our polarized world, perhaps this is a place to start. Whatever your political persuasion, we are all hurting. We are all struggling. As James said in a recent LinkedIn post, “your people need you now more than ever”. We need each other now more than ever. Let’s give each other some grace as we move forward.