What if you would really accept what I say? If you believed the truth of My estimation of you, would there be scoundrels? What would be the point? Entertainment? Mischievousness?

What would be the use of unkindness, judgment, scolding, bullying, incarceration? Who would even think of those things, and why would anyone? Why does anyone now?

Even when you don’t believe in your worth, why would you believe there is value in being thoughtless or heartless? Perhaps you don’t believe in their value now.

Please don’t think for one moment that I suggest that you be professionally mushy or so patently kind to the point of untruthfulness. Sometimes it is kinder to say what you think than to beat around the bush. It is kinder to let someone know what is going on rather than to leave them hanging. It is kinder to the other person, and it is kinder to you. Truthfulness can be kind. Hurtfulness is another thing. Both heartfulness and hurtfulness come from your sense of self.

By no means am I suggesting that you sugarcoat everything or anything. Kindness comes from within, beloveds. Kindness is not a pretense of kindness. Kindness is not blind. It is not kind for a teacher to let her students cheat. It is not kind to pretend that all actions are right or justifiable. Commiseration is not kindness. The same words can be kind or unkind depending upon the intentions of the person who says them and depending upon the receiver of the words.

Of course, you do the best you can do. Doing the best you can do is not meant to be an excuse for you, however. When you make a mistake, forget about it and know better from then on.

At least accept when I tell you that you are a strong person, not a weak one. Find the evidence for your strength and build on that.

Kindness does not mean making excuses for others either. If your child has dirty hands, it is not in your child’s favor to pretend that he washed his hands nor is it kind for you to pretend they are clean. At the same time, it is not true that cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Be kind without your diagnosing your acts as kind. You are a specialist in kindness as a matter of course. You are not a performer of kindness. You are not an actor of kindness. You are kind. The sweetest words may not be kind unless they come from the wellspring of your consciousness.

Soft-hearted is not quite the same as kind. Your soft-heartedness may be only a manner of speaking. It can be your way of running away from responsibility. Kindness is not meant to be a cloak you put on.

It is not My suggestion that you be a robot of kindness. Kindness is meant to mean something.

Kindness is respect. I expect you to be respectful to young and old and respectful to yourself. Pretense is not kindness. Have I made that point well enough?

A heart of gold is a heart of gold. It is not a heart of tin painted gold. Kindness is not a sham.

Not everyone knows his way around New York. There is no reason to pretend you do. Nor are you a bluffer of kindness. At the same time, you have to try kindness out. You do have to practice it.

Learn from the great teachers, the Great Ones, and what would they do? They were not softies, were they? They were firm and loving. They made themselves clear. They did not just pat everyone on the head. Determine what kindness is, and follow it.