Turning toward kindness and decency

Mid-week last week, I sent out a bonus email asking for donations to send Signs of Kindness to support the Be Kind for B random acts of kindness campaign.

Fifteen of you quickly pitched in, and as a result, there are now 40 yard signs on their way to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

This marks the completion of the 50-state goal that I've been working toward for over a year, just in time for the Election Day deadline that I set for myself.

It is remarkably satisfying.

People have purchased signs for their homes and businesses.
They've purchased signs for their friends and family members.
And they have pitched in to pay for signs for people they've never met, in communities that they will probably never visit.

This is the kind of country I want to live in.

Not one riddled with plastic yard signs, necessarily, but one in which we easily express our kindness and goodwill toward one another. Even toward people who may not share our values, beliefs, or politics.

This election week, I am heartened by how strong the collective longing is for kindness and decency, and how many people are doing things to help it along.

In case your news feeds are curated differently than mine, here are a few examples I can point to.

Braver Angels is an organization I've mentioned a few times now, and I'm sure will continue to promote. On election night, starting at 7:00 EST, they will be offering a series of religious and secular 15-minute gatherings to "offer grounding and help hold America together." Then on Wednesday night they'll be holding a post-election day discussion to reflect on what just happened and consider how to move forward.

Vote Kindness is a movement sponsored by Wisdom 2.0 whose mission is to "support universal human values such as truthfulness, respect, and kindness in our society and our leadership." Their Facebook group has recently been the source of some of my favorite articles and videos, and they are offering a series of Election Day events to set intentions, extend lovingkindness, and connect as a community.

This conversation between Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) of the Problem-Solvers Caucus was the most inspiring thing I've heard from national politics in a long time.

Finally, I recently learned about this new documentary film, The Antidote, featuring "stories of kindness, decency and the power of community in America." I will be putting it on my family's calendar later this month.

If you are feeling nervous about the upcoming election, you are certainly not alone. But you have a great deal of choice in where to focus your attention. I hope you will join me in finding, celebrating, and encouraging the people and things that bring out the best in you and others.