It was inspired by a comment from the Universal House of Justice (the governing body of the Bahá’í World) in 2015, explaining that our development as a community must be tied together by a simple strand of love. That our love for each other—our fellow human family—is what will bind us together, and help us to move forward together in our efforts to make this world a better place for all, including the future generations to come.

Amidst all the negativity and injustice in the world right now, I have wondered what, at the very core, will help bring about a change? Really when you strip it all down, love is the ultimate agent for social change. If we want to make real, lasting change, love has to be at the core. And by love I mean, that love that sees the best in one another, that cares for the welfare of another human being. It is what should motivate us into action and service, and carry us through our day, “love includeth every excellence of humankind. It causeth every soul to go forward” (‘Abdul Bahá, Bahá’í Writings). 

There is a wealth of scientific research telling us the impact of love is real. Seeing smiles makes us smile too and in turn we feel happier, if you receive an act of kindness, you’re more likely to offer an act of kindness—and this ripple effect can be profound. Recovering from illness is far more likely if you feel loved and supported by those around you (and conversely you are more likely to get sick if you feel isolated and unloved). Love makes us feel more supported, valued, able to contribute, worthy to serve, and more connected to others. This genuine connection with others has become even more essential in our modern world, where social media and online living has led to greater isolation, because people are connecting more through devices and apps than face-to-face.

Often when we think of social change makers, what comes to mind are these momentous acts, worthy of an Oscar winning movie script. But offering love and kindness to the members of our human family who are right next to us, can be the most profound and simple acts of social agency we can preform. It is something we can do every day, it is something that will make a difference in the lives of those we come in contact with, and in turn our own, and the ripple effect of our attitude will lead to an ever increasing circle of people around us engaging in the same behavior. Imagine the global impact if a significant number of people just chose to do something as simple as walk into each day with the intention of showing true loving kindness to the people they interact with that day.

Experiment with it: for a day make sure you smile genuinely at everyone you pass or engage with, thank and acknowledge people warmly when they do something for you, offer genuine compliments to the people you interact with, show love through genuine acts of kindness and see how it impacts your day, your mood, how you feel about yourself and the world around you. Do it for a few more days and see how people start responding to you and in turn how they treat you, and again how this effects your perception of the world and your reality. 

What are some of the practical tools you use to carry an attitude of love and kindness throughout your day?