I’ve always been a pretty happy person. Ever since I was a kid, I found joy in making connections, sharing a laugh, and just being there for people. It wasn’t something I consciously thought about—it was just how I was wired. But over time, I realized something important: happiness isn’t just a personal thing. It spreads. When people around me were happy, it made everything flow better—work, relationships, even the tough stuff life throws at you.
Happiness isn’t just about feeling good. It’s a game-changer. When we’re happy, we’re more motivated, more creative, and way more productive. It’s like a secret hack for life. I started noticing that when I was in a good mood, work felt easier, ideas came quicker, and connecting with people just felt natural. Then in 2021, Daniel shared with me the idea for KindWorks. When I really started diving into the research and science, I realized that my personal key to happiness was something I’d been practicing all along: Kindness.
I’ve always believed in seeing the best in people and making an effort to connect on a human level. Whether it was at work, in a coffee shop, or just chatting with a stranger, those little moments of Kindness made my day better. And guess what? Research backs this up. Scientists have found that Kindness isn’t just good for the people on the receiving end—it’s a total mood booster for the giver, too.
Take Nicholas Epley’s research, for example. He’s a behavioral scientist at the University of Chicago, and his studies show that even simple interactions with strangers—like chatting with someone on the subway or making small talk at the grocery store—can make us happier. That totally clicked with me. Some of the best, most memorable moments in my life have come from unexpected conversations or small acts of Kindness.
The cool thing about Kindness is that it’s not just some nice, feel-good thing—it actually rewires your brain. Doing Kind things triggers a release of oxytocin (the “love hormone”), endorphins (natural painkillers), and dopamine (your brain’s reward chemical). Basically, it’s like a happiness cocktail for your brain. And when you’re happier, you handle stress better, bounce back from setbacks faster, and just generally enjoy life more.
Of course, life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Bad stuff happens. I’ve had my fair share of tough times, and I know everyone else has too. Kindness has been my anchor. It’s what’s helped me stay grounded and keep perspective, even when things get rough. It doesn’t mean ignoring pain or pretending everything’s fine. It just means choosing to respond in a way that keeps me moving forward instead of getting stuck in negativity. (See example in the photo above of me and my kids stuck at O’Hare in a 13 hour flight delay!)
The Natural Connection Between KindWorks and Happiness
That’s exactly why we created KindWorks. Kindness should be something we all actively practice, not just something that happens by chance. Our goal is to encourage and enable people to be Kind on purpose—whether that’s in the workplace, in friendships, or just in everyday life. We designed it based on research (including tons of studies on empathy, well-being, gratitude, and more) to help people make Kindness a habit.
What’s great is that Kindness doesn’t have to be a huge effort. It can be something as simple as giving someone a compliment, holding the door open, or sending an encouraging text to a friend. Even the smallest acts can create a ripple effect that spreads happiness further than you’d think. Studies even show that doing five acts of Kindness in a single day can have long-lasting positive effects on your well-being. That’s a pretty powerful reason to make Kindness a daily practice.
One of my favorite things about this journey is seeing the ripple effect in action. When you make Kindness a habit, it doesn’t just improve your life—it inspires others to do the same. That’s what builds stronger relationships, better workplaces, and healthier communities.
At the end of the day, happiness and Kindness go hand in hand. While happiness can feel like a fleeting emotion, Kindness is something we can practice and control. And the more we practice it, the happier we become.
For me, Kindness has been the key to navigating life’s ups and downs. It’s helped me build meaningful connections, stay resilient, and find joy even in tough times. And with KindWorks.AI, we are helping others do the same. Because in a world that can sometimes feel divided and overwhelming, Kindness is one of the most powerful tools we have.
So, why not give it a try? A little more Kindness every day might just make life a whole lot better—for you and everyone around you.
KindWorks.AI helps leaders unlock the full potential of their people through Kindness. The enterprise platform has an AI agent named Beni that seamlessly integrates with platforms like Slack, WhatsApp, and MS Teams to increase well-being, productivity, and results with your team.
