When Kindness Feels Hard to Reach

There are moments when leading with kindness feels hard to reach.

Not only when someone hurts you—
but when the world itself feels heavy.
When a space feels off.
When something asks more of you than you can offer.

Sometimes nothing obvious has happened.
And still, you feel the need to move more slowly.
To listen.
To stay close to yourself.

This isn’t defensiveness.
It’s discernment.

We often speak about kindness as if it should be constant—
as if openness is a virtue we must uphold at all times.

But kindness isn’t something we perform.
It’s something that arises naturally
when we feel resourced enough to offer it.

Before kindness, there is presence.
Before openness, there is steadiness.
Before affection, there is choice.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do
is not ask more of yourself.

To soften expectations.
To take a step back.
To allow yourself to be quieter than usual
without explaining why.

Moving gently through the world
is not the same as closing your heart.

It’s how we remain in relationship with ourselves
while staying attentive to what’s around us.

Kindness that is rushed
loses its integrity.

Kindness that emerges from steadiness
has room to breathe.

This is an invitation
to trust your own timing.
To let kindness arrive naturally,
not as obligation,
but as a true offering.

When kindness feels hard to reach, moving gently is still an act of care.

With love, Lindsay