The Power of Kindness

Posted On: Friday, January 23, 2026

We know (when we think about it) that kindness can show up in families, friends, strangers, and ourselves. Something surfaces, and we want to do something that matters. Decades ago, Physicist and Nobel laureate Albert Einstein was reported to have said, “Kindness is the highest form of intelligence.”

When we think about kindness that way as well, it offers even more reasons to focus on what is possible that can make significant differences in people’s lives and well-being.

Kindness has the capacity to encourage us to fuel forward. The gestures can change our attitudes, energies, and possibilities. If we miss seeing what is needed for others, then kindness often evaporates.

People’s well-being can shape kindness and lives that create a sense of belonging for themselves and their neighbors. The sense of connection enables ideas to come together that benefit them and others.

Prolific author Kobi Yamada, president of Compendium, a publishing company in Seattle, wrote Being Kind: the subtitle is “How to add more meaning to your moments.’’

The book’s 46 pages separates one side for illustrations by Charles Santoso of  animals learning and creating kindness; the other side is Yamada’s insights for readers, including how to make things happen. These insights and ideas can be very useful for children, teens, and adults.

Being Kind opens with a sloth wrapping gifts. It turns out he’s the leader and makes an impact on the animals and consistently demonstrates kindness. They work together with various responsibilities and create a community. The sloth’s ongoing kindness in doing chores and solving problems enables the animals to follow suit.

Throughout the book, Yamada shares the importance of “adding more meaning to your moments.” He offers wisdom, ways to address difficulties and success, and how to develop oneself, among other suggestions, all consistent with creating kindness. He says early in the book that “Kindness is not just something you do, but something you are.”

In the book flap of Being Kind, Yamada writes:

“We all have the power to uplift and encourage one another. We  can all help someone to feel seen and heard, or simply to find their smiles. There is no such thing as a small act of kindness – each one nourishes and enriches. And it is up to each of us to do our part to create a kinder more compassionate world.”

The power of kindness encourages who we are, what we stand for, and why. It’s about the ways we make things happen, supporting others and being supported, and that changes lives in wonderful ways.

Gael O’Brien is a catalyst for leaders leading with purpose and impact. She is an executive coach with a corporate and public affairs background. Gael is President of Strategic Opportunities Group.

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