Yes it’s true.
Except that we have been conditioned to think that power equals hardness and that survival is that of the law of the jungle.
How many of us have been brought up to believe that life is a struggle, that love is a competition, that financial abundance is a tough quest – The Eldorado!
And for all these things and other that we want in life, we had to flex our muscles, physically and emotionally. Yes maybe the survival of the fittest prevails and that is if you do not run fast enough the lion will catch and eat you. And yes if you do not wake up early enough you miss many opportunities during your day…
But what this belief was built upon is half of the truth. Besides being healthy, strong, focused, etc. human beings exhibit other qualities that are kindness, compassion, empathy and most importantly Love. Yes we had to be agile and smart to outrun the lion but we also held onto each other to ensure the evolution of the species: we lived in communities and tribes for support, we united countries for peace, we followed a belief or another for spiritual enlightenment.
Even the gazelle who will not do all of that in a conscious fashion, knows innately that she can go daily to the river to drink, at the same time as the lion does and that she will not be attacked. Because the lion is strong, but he is also good!
We are genetically predisposed to have goodness in us. And that evidence, we have probably forgotten.
Nowadays all over the internet, we have these stories about kindness and compassion and daily gratitude exercises as if we are called to remember qualities that were long forgotten or kept in the shadows. Why? Because in modern society, it is not cool to show the softness’ side of the heart.
When people exhibit hardness or lack of kindness or miss being good in any given occasion, this is mostly a sign of fear, or insecurity. If they are willing to look a bit deeper into their emotions, they will definitely find this little kid who grew up lacking love and kindness. This child who had learned that in life everything is a struggle, and that “if you are not a wolf, then you are a lamb!” Probably the parents didn’t know any better and were also brought up in the same way.
Being strong, in a ruthless kind of way is sign of greed, of lack and of ignorance. It is caused by this sense of insecurity and fear, of being alone to face the obstacles in life. And these persons are labeled as ‘having no heart’, or their ‘heart is closed’.
Whereas steering strength towards goodness is a sign of abundance, of evolvement, of self-trust. It is also the best way to accomplish your goals, realise your dreams and more, in a gracious way for you and the ones involved. There will never be any guilt attached, there will never be bad repercussions. And goodness has a magical ripple effect. It’s easy to spread, as easy as a smile, a listening ear, a helping hand.
Dr. David Hamilton says: “When it comes from the heart, it is good for the heart”
So from a physical point of view, being good is good for your heart as when you have this warm emotional communication (a hug, holding hands, doing good), the body produces oxytocin – one of the 3 happy hormones- All the interior of the vascular system is lined with oxytocin receptors. So the more we act with goodness, the more the body produces oxytocin. When more oxytocin is attaching to these receptors, we create a state of lower blood pressure. Which is a cardio protector and a stress relieving factor.
When you are acting with goodness and that is not only kindness, but also compassion, righteousness, empathy and love, you are opening up your heart, and you are not afraid to do so and that, my friends, is an act of strength.
The lion must definitely know that!