BOOK REVIEW: Author makes a great and timely dare for 2017 …

If you’re what we think of as an “average person,” you probably think of yourself as a “kind” person.

BUT, you’re probably not quite as kind as you think you are.

Don’t mistake “kind” for “nice,” there is a distinct and important difference. Even though most of us would consider ourselves to be kind, chances are you suffer from a little “kindness blindness” and fixing that could be transformative to your life by directly impacting your relationships.

At least, so claims Shaunti Feldhahn, in her newly released book, “The Kindness Challenge: Thirty Days to Improve Any Relationship” (published by WaterBrook).

I love this book for a very simple reason — we grossly underestimate the importance of kindness in our human interactions, and overestimate just how kind we really are. Feldhahn does an effective job of providing us with new insights as to why kindness is so valuable to our relationships, and how purposely focusing on becoming more kind can have a major impact in our lives.

Feldhahn isn’t talking just from an opinion on the subject of kindness; she is a Christian, Harvard-trained researcher who has spent years delving into this topic, and this book provides us with the benefit of her professional research.

“The path to our happy place starts with one choice: whether or not to be kind. Especially when we really don’t want to be,” writes Feldhahn.

“… We’ve spent years studying, investigating, refining, testing, and quantifying specific steps that make a huge difference to any relationship. I’ll be sharing those in the pages ahead. But when it comes right down to it, the bottom line is pretty simple: be kind. The concept is simple, but that doesn’t mean it is effortless, in part because we really don’t know how to be kind. You may find that absurd. But I promise you: you almost certainly don’t. At least not in the way that works best. And what works best is what I’ll be walking you through in this book,” Feldhahn writes.

The author first helps us understand the vital need for being kind and how kindness impacts all of our human interactions, and then urges her readers to take on a 30-day “kindness challenge” to purposely become a more kind person. However, Feldhahn doesn’t leaving us hanging with just a simple challenge; she defines what is involved in a purposeful pursuit to becoming more kind and breaks down her challenge for us …

“This book will help us figure out which specific elements of kindness we need to work on and how, identify specific actions we might need to do (or not do!), and then dare each of us to take the 30-Day Kindness Challenge, not just to improve a specific relationship but to be part of a culture-transforming movement …”

This book is timely because it doesn’t take a genius or Harvard-trained researcher to look around us and see there’s a great need for more kindness from all of us, especially if we’re seriously about walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. And, as we’re on the verge of entering a New Year, what better challenge can we take into 2017 than committing to become more kind?

Scotty

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”