Showing care for others is one of the most important and one of the most wonderful things that we can do. When you show care towards someone you make a difference in the world with kindness.

Every single one of us can be caring and show care. Being a caring person doesn’t come from developing a skill or deep understanding of something over time. You don’t need to gradually develop your ability to care like you have to gradually develop your ability to play a particular sport or a musical instrument. Being caring comes from making a decision, every day, that you care and that you are going to show that care to the world.

The brilliant thing about showing you care is that it can be achieved through very small, but important, actions that we are all completely capable of. Making the decision to say ‘Good Morning’ to your teachers as you walk past them when you arrive at school is a moment of you showing care, holding the door open for somebody else to walk through before you do is a moment of care, stopping and thanking a teacher for the lesson before you leave the classroom is a moment of care.

Showing your friends and family that you care through small, important actions is also something that we are all completely capable of. Sometimes we can confuse demonstrations of care with grand gestures such as expensive presents or being taken on days out. Both of these things are nice, however, showing care to friends and family is much simpler that. The best way to show care to those you are closest to is through giving them the gift of your time to listen to them, to ask questions and be interested in what matters to them and to tell them what you love about them.

By being generous with your time and really listening to what they have to say you are showing them that they matter, that you see them and you hear them, that they are a person worth noticing and caring about. This type of care makes their lives better and it also makes your life better and more fulfilled. By showing care for others and contributing to their happiness, you are also making your own life more meaningful and contributing to your own happiness.

The Dalai Lama said: ‘The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being.’ This is absolutely true. Care breeds contentment and happiness. There is a growing body of research that shows being caring towards others has a positive impact on our own health and well-being. If you consistently choose to show care to others you build better relationships, reduce your own stress levels and are likely to be more successful. Caring makes you, and everyone around you happier.

By making that important decision to care and showing that care through careful, small and often ordinary actions you are doing something really quite extraordinary; you are making a difference in the world through kindness.

Ms Julia Hopkins
Assistant Headteacher, St Birinus School