We are all reflections of the love and pain that we carry.
Every single Disney movie taught us that love expresses itself as kindness, while pain can become malice, resentment, or hatred if we don’t deal with it.
But have you noticed:
There is a special type of person who knows how to carry extra love, who seems to know how to process their pain and not put it back out into the world.
You might know some of them. They’re the ones who feel good to be around.
They exude a certain warmth and people gravitate to them because they make people feel safe.
Could you be one of them?
Here are the traits that tell you you might be a kind-hearted person, and other people adore your presence.
1) You are humble.
Humbleness is not placing anyone below yourself, and treating each and every person with the same respect regardless of their status, age, gender, or race.
This is one of the key foundations of kind-heartedness.
Now:
Sometimes, people can mistake humbleness for having low self-worth or self-esteem.
However, low self-worth is very different from humbleness, which comes from a deeper sense of self-certainty that doesn’t need validation, or feel the need to flaunt or brag.
To be humble is to also allow space for others to shine, without fighting to take up all of the space – this usually comes from hidden insecurity and low self-worth.
So if you are humble even though you know your capabilities, this is the first sign you’re a kind-hearted person.
2) You are empathetic.
Do you find it easy to relate to other people, especially if they’re having a hard time?
Do you even find it difficult sometimes not to relate to others’ struggles and problems?
If so, this probably means you’re a kind-hearted person.
Being able to see perspectives outside of your own is the bedrock of being kind-hearted. Empathy is where all other kind traits stem from – it’s the main reason you would go out of your way to help someone or make their day better.
It’s because you relate to their challenges and struggles and want to treat them in the way you would want to be treated if you were in their position.
Some signs that you have high empathy are:
- Getting emotional when watching sad videos or movies
- Being a good listener
- Being easily influenced by other people’s stories and emotions
- Wanting to help when someone is having a hard time
So if you find yourself putting yourself in others’ shoes often without any obligation to do so, you’re likely a person with a kind heart.
3) You are generous with your resources.
Another trait of a kind heart is this: if you find yourself easily sharing your resources, like your time, energy, and money, or a helping hand to someone in need.
Maybe you drop everything to help someone when they’re in need of support.
Or maybe you don’t hesitate to do altruistic acts, like donating money to someone in need, volunteering, or stopping to talk to someone who needs a listening ear.
If you are truly generous, you know that it’s not about having a certain amount of resources before you can give. It’s about wanting to offer something in any way you can, even if it’s a minute of your time.
But here’s the important thing:
That you do it without the expectation of getting something in return.
Being generous can often come with other motives, like getting something back, manipulating someone, or simply wanting to appear as a good person to others.
If your generosity is coming from a pure and genuine place of wanting to contribute something to the other person’s life, then that’s a solid sign you that have a kind heart.
4) You have a positive attitude.
Which statement do you resonate with more?
“I see the good in every bad”
Or…
“I see the bad in every good”?
If you relate more to the first statement, you most likely have a positive attitude.
You see the good in humanity and others, and you see the good in yourself – even though you know there are things that can always be improved.
It doesn’t mean you are falsely positive all the time. It means that even though you’re aware of the bad, you still choose to maintain hope that things will be better.
What’s more, is that you feel and know deeply that you are able to contribute to making it better.
You take action where you can, with what you have, to make your vision a reality, rather than waiting on someone else to do it.
So if you have a positive attitude, that’s another trait you are a kind-hearted person. A positive attitude means you see the good in people and situations, and you hold pure intentions for them both.
5) You don’t judge superficial things.
Being non-judgmental relates a lot to my previous point, as it comes under the same umbrella of having a positive attitude!
I say not judging ‘superficial’ things, because judgment does serve us in some areas of life – like more threatening behaviors that require discernment.
If you find yourself judging people for little things like how they dress, talk, their background, or their income, then this is definitely not coming from a kind-hearted place.
Self-expression is a beautiful thing that is often shut down by other people’s judgments. So if you are a person who puts out encouragement rather than judgment for things people share, for their decisions or lifestyle, then you’re likely very kind-hearted.
So if being kind-hearted is your goal, try admiring people’s merits more often and judging them less.
Sometimes judging is just a bad habit we pick up in life, and it’s just a matter of practicing viewing people with more kindness. Over time, you’ll get into a new habit of seeing the good rather than judging the bad!
6) You are forgiving of mistakes.
Now, if someone is displaying behaviors you think are harmful or unlikeable, it’s fair to want to keep your distance from them.
But in my experience:
Forgiving them, even just from afar, is the most kind-hearted thing to do. For a few reasons:
1) Hurt people, hurt people – and we have all been both.
There were times you made mistakes, and other people were in positions to forgive you. Wasn’t it a nicer feeling to be given the opportunity to grow and redeem yourself?
Offer the same grace to someone else, if they are willing to change, and you are gifting them the space and opportunity to grow.
2) Forgiveness is the best exercise for practicing compassion and being a kind-hearted person.
3) By forgiving, you clear the pain and resentment from your own mind, body, and soul. It benefits you just as much, and actually more!
So if you’re able to forgive even the biggest hurts in your life, you’ve mastered this key trait of a kind-hearted person.
Remember, forgiving doesn’t mean allowing the same toxic behaviors over and over again.
It’s important to forgive, but learn from it and hold a higher standard for what you’re willing to accept in the future.
7) You are grateful.
Are you aware of all the positive things in your life?
Do you treat all that you have with respect, and show care to all that you have?
That includes:
- Your relationships
- Your belongings
- Your home
- Your pets
- Your opportunities
- Your health
- Your resources
- Little moments in your day
- Your memories
- Most importantly, yourself
Gratitude doesn’t always come naturally, but as long as you are practicing being grateful in the moments when it feels hard, then you are on the right path.
If you are grateful for your life, it will reflect on your relationships with other people and how you treat them. You will treat them as something cherished, appreciated, and valued, and they will feel that and return it.
This is why being grateful is another huge trait of a kind-hearted person.
Conclusion
So what does this all mean for you?
If you relate to most or all of the traits listed, then you can consider yourself a kind-hearted, positive influence on others around you.
If you relate to some, but not all of them, don’t worry. Being kind-hearted comes naturally to some, but to others, it can absolutely be cultivated with practice.
As long as you want to be a better person, all you need is some self-reflection, patience, and self-forgiveness to start practicing these habits in your life.
Take these points on board, and you will be on your way to becoming a beautiful, uplifting, and inspiring presence to everyone around you.
