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Note from the Webmaster: Brian Willis, founder of the Australian Kindness Movement, is currently recovering from a serious illness - and now well on the mend. We will be updating the new site extensively over the next few months. Carl Holden - 9th December 2007 I invite you to register - use the "Login Form" at left and we'll email you when changes/updates occur.... Created as a service to the community, this site contains information gathered from many sources in many lands, since our inception in 1994, and since joining the World Kindness Movement in 1997. The various matters presented here have been selected because of their simplicity, the positive influence they have had on people and communities, and the fact that they promote a sense of meaning and fulfilment in both the giver and receiver. Several surveys involving thousands of volunteers have revealed that participating in regular, small acts of kindness is beneficial to your health, longevity and well being. Making the decision to be a little kinder will bring more pleasure and direction to your life than ever before, even if you decide to use only a small percentage of the methods discussed on this site.  You are no doubt a kindly person, otherwise you wouldn't have selected this site. What we are asking of you is that you make a decision to be just a little kinder in your actions and reactions with others (and yourself, too!). Our site gives you hundreds of ways to achieve this goal, and we wish you well in creating your own, personal, 'Kindness Epidemic'.
We live in a world of rapid change. If we also lived in a perfect world, all of this change would be positive, and for the good of the whole of humanity. As you will realise, our world is far from perfect, and change can be manipulated by people, corporations and governments to satisfy their desire for greed and power. In the book 'Megatrends 2000', it tells us "The most exciting breakthroughs of the 21st century will occur not because of technology, but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human." In our lifetime we will realise the awesome power that can be created when we join together in a common cause. A phrase has been mentioned in the media recently - "the world's other super power", which refers to the power of the world's citizens, of 'people power'. We have witnessed the early stages of this force in the WTO demonstrations, and the peace marches in reaction to the threatened, and subsequent, invasion of Iraq. Change can increase stress levels. This can create anxiety, hostility and health problems. Paul Pearsall, author of The Pleasure Prescription (Hunter House, 1996) talks about a new plague, that "directly or indirectly contributes to early death more than any other factor." The plague Pearsall refers to is the lack of joy in our lives, a vital element for psychological and physiological health. The practise of being kinder is a simple way to make your life more joyful and fulfilling - we have never heard anyone say there is too much joy in their lives! Relax, enjoy, be friendly, laugh, be playful, help others. Focus on the things you enjoy, rather than the things that annoy. We invite you to visit our site regularly. It will never be completed, as kindness has a positive effect on every facet of people's lives, giving us an infinite source of subjects to write about. We also hope you will be part of the growth of the site, by helping us with contributions and suggestions. Please e-mail these to
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, or post to The Australian Kindness Movement, PO Box 271, Milsons Point NSW 2061, Australia. We express our heartfelt thanks to the following people who were involved in the material used for this site, and its preparation, in one way or another. WARNING:
Whilst it is the policy of the Australian Kindness Movement to encourage kind behaviour in all interactions with others, there are some circumstances where this may not be appropriate behaviour.
For example, if a woman were to smile at a male stranger, it could be interpreted as a ‘come on’. Also, a friendly approach to someone under the influence of alcohol or other drug, or a person with a psychological disturbance, may elicit, in certain circumstances, a response of verbal or physical abuse.
While such incidents may be rare, we urge that common sense prevail in kindness interactions with others. Do not put your safety at risk!
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