How Spiritual Life Coaching Helps You Navigate Life Transitions

Every day—sometimes several times a day—we are faced with a choice: to show up with kindness, or not. And let’s be honest, that choice isn’t always easy. Maybe a string of little things has gone wrong, maybe one big thing knocked the wind out of us, maybe we’re just “in our feels” and it’s a hard day. Or maybe we’re doing okay, but the person in front of us is having a difficult time and greets us without kindness. There are so many reasons kindness can feel hard—but let me tell you why it might just be the best choice.

In my years as a teacher and now as a clinician, I can’t count the number of times a student walked into my classroom, or a client into my office, carrying a truly mind-boggling amount of “stuff.” If I began that encounter with anything other than kindness, I risked shutting down the very person I was trying to help—whether it was learning a new concept or finding peace in their mental turmoil. Of course, I’ve had bad days when I wanted to snap or rush them along. But that’s not what they needed.

Think of something as ordinary as the grocery store line. Maybe someone is paying in pennies, shuffling coupons, or realizing they don’t quite have enough money. They already feel the weight of people’s eyes on them. Do they really need the extra sting of an impatient sigh or an “oh, hurry up”? Probably not. And if we’re honest, how many times have we been the one “holding up the line”? Choosing kindness in those moments doesn’t cost us anything—and it might be the only moment of gentleness that person gets all day.

Science backs this up. A Harvard study found that acts of kindness have profound effects on our minds, bodies, and social connections. Kindness releases dopamine and oxytocin, which build happiness and trust. It even increases the gray matter in our brains that regulates mood—and yes, kind people tend to live longer.

Kindness can take a thousand forms: hugging a loved one for no reason, complimenting a stranger, holding a door, offering a smile to a parent with a screaming child, sending a “thinking of you” text, or handing out flowers in the park. The possibilities are endless, and every one of them carries ripples far beyond the moment.

AmoraLuma is guided by love and illuminated by light. Kindness is love in action—the light we choose to shine even when others sit in darkness. Join me, and the AmoraLuma family, in showing up with kindness today and every day.