Kindness counts
Like the rose, the gardenia is such a graceful flower. Somehow with the gardenia, I also feel a strong geometric pattern in its petals - they almost seem to radiate out from their center like a spiral. I couldn’t help but FEEL the gentleness of each of the petals as I made this drawing.
At the time I made this drawing, I was recovering from a bad cold. There is really nothing worse than when your body weakens. Even if it is temporary, the time you spend feeling sick and recovering is so draining. I think I even had to take a break from the 100 day project because I had no energy in me to work in any way.
I made this drawing on my first day back into the studio - it was day 78 of my 100 day project. And it was hard to return, to sit in front of a blank sheet of paper and to try to start drawing again. I felt this urge to give up and not continue the project. It really felt like I had no energy left to go on. But somehow, I started outlining one gentle petal after another radiating from the center and moving outward. And with each petal, I felt a gentleness radiating out from myself. And by the time I was done, I knew I could draw again, to live again for another day of this project and in my life as a whole.
I guess the lesson for me here was that there is a power in gentleness and kindness - whether it is directed toward yourself or others, I really believe one kind act after another has the power to replenish the energy we need to continue on with our lives and our work. To keep doing the work we must do. To keep supporting others to do the work they must do too.
TAKE A PAUSE AND LISTEN
From THE GARDEN of HEALING Album. Music and video by Ariel Loh - Window Seat.
TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE THEME
EPISODE 17 - SEASON 1
Gentleness is represented by the gardenia, Card #31. The roots of gratitude can be found in gentleness and kindness. Being kind creates the conditions for gratitude to flourish.
EPISODE 18 - SEASON 2
Being there for each other. That’s the core inspiration for bar owner and author Cedd Moses. He says, “It’s not worth growing unless we can be there for each other.” He is on the path to redefine the hospitality industry with his bars and company Pouring with Heart, which is also the title of his new book: Pouring with Heart: The Essential Magic Behind the Bartenders We Love.
EPISODE 51 - SEASON 3
Ever pondered the intricate dance of empathy and democracy? Well, that's precisely what we set out to explore with our esteemed guests, Sofia Alvarez and Jim Herr, from the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Through this collaborative project, we created three reflection booths, inviting people to pause in a public square. Together, we navigated the terrain of emotions, giving individuals the liberty to tap into their own emotions and harness their inner wisdom while we talked about our collective journey.
EPISODE 59 - SEASON 3
Imagine a world where tenderness takes the political stage and grace is nurtured enough to birth something beautiful. In today's heart-to-heart, we sit within the hard cracks and rubble of life, armed with a gentle energy, exploring how we can endure the world's heaviness without being swept away by it. Drawing inspiration from Bayo Akomolafe's call for a politics of tenderness, we invite you to join us in this moment of vulnerability as we turn to the Gentleness card from our deck, a beacon created in a moment of overwhelming emotion. We delve into the importance of creating a space for discomfort to arise and the necessity of channeling a tender energy before taking action.
Gentleness is one of the 39 Gratitude Blooming themes that we explore to help our community keep gratitude front of mind.
Explore all themes
