Be a Kindness Champion

In a world of keyboard warriors, be a keyboard champion. 

I wrote the other week about how a video I had posted got the attention of around 37 million people.

I was on the receiving end of angry keyboard warriors in a way that I had never been before. 

And over what I would consider one of the least controversial things I have posted over the years. 

I read the angry comments and saw only opportunity- I had an amazing platform to respond with kindness and respect to those least expecting it. 

The reason it seemed like an innocent video to me was because I had context, knowledge of raising hens, and my relationship to my animals. I had forgotten that most people don’t have that info. 

I talk about the curse of knowledge in my leadership talks- and I had fallen right into that trap. 

Staying curious instead of labeling all the negative keyboard warriors as crazy lunatics, allowed me to widen my perspective and see them as people. 

In a world of keyboard warriors, we all have the opportunity to be keyboard champions, by:

Responding with compassion, respect and kindness, to those who struggle to do so themselves. 

Taking a few minutes and email, not a complaint, but praise of an employee to a manager or corporate headquarters. 

Emailing your boss about something positive that a coworker did recently. 

Commenting on posts about awesome vacations taken by friends and instead of feeling jealous, lean into empathetic joy and have your words reflect that. 

Write a positive review of a business. 

Send emails/messages of gratitude to others. 

Many people do weaponize the keyboard to try to offload hurt, fear and anger onto others with cruel and hateful words, some using it to relentlessly bully. And they do a lot of damage. 

The keyboard, however, in the hands of champions, can be used to elevate, praise, soothe, connect and remind people of the power of kindness, compassion and respect. 

Remember that we are all messy humans, carrying around stories both fact and fiction that dictate our actions. 

So choose compassion. Choose kindness

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About Becky

Becky Schmooke (pronounced “Smoke”) is a Mindful Leadership Consultant and Speaker, focused on providing action based mindfulness and leadership training to organizations and businesses who are ready to do things differently.

Becky’s Mindful Kitchen, is located outside of Iowa City, and provides truly unique team building and leadership retreats, strategic planning workshops, private parties and classes and weekly summer camps for kids. The commercial teaching kitchen, treehouse, archery range, bush craft skills, first aid training, wood fired pizza oven, chickens, baby goats and timber adventure playground provides endless opportunities for hands on activities.

As a mom to three girls, 60 chickens, 4 goats, 2 dogs and a fire fighter’s wife- life is never boring and provides Becky with endless stories which she uses to illustrate her approach to mindfulness in daily posts on social media.

In all that she does, Becky has one goal, to build confidence in others to take action to live their best life, not just pass time.