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The author hugs a passerby. Photo Leon Logothetis. EFE.
Former British stockbroker Leon Logothetis left the world of finance, to explore other worlds, the geographical and the social, revealing the ‘good that there is in humanity’ and documenting it through his books and television programs, transmitting a message of kindness and hope, as he explains.
“It seems that people sometimes forget how to be nice. But kindness is not something we have to look for outside, because it lives in all of us, all the time. It is part of what makes us human and it is what connects us to each other, despite all the bad things in the world”, according to Logothetis.
“When you make someone feel less alone, you you feel less alone. When you make someone feel better, you do you feel better. When you give love, you you receive love When we are kind, we all win!, he emphasizes, pointing out that “kindness is the official language of love, friendship and joy”.
For the British adventurer, motivational speaker, television presenter, philanthropist and writer Leon Logothetis, “the greatest gift of human beings is kindness”, a quality that fosters the connection between different people and each person with himself, according to what he says.
After being a stockbroker in London “where on the outside it seemed like I had it all, but on the inside I felt devoid of inspiration, disconnected and chronically depressed” ;, he left it all to lead a life “on the road”, in a radical change of life inspired by the movie “The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004), as he confesses, (www.leonlogothetis.com).
For more than a decade, Logothetis has visited almost a hundred countries and traveled to every continent, seeking, finding and highlighting the ‘good side’ of humanity, all of which is evident in the documentary television series ‘The Kindness Diaries’ (The Kindness Diaries), of which he is the protagonist and which has been broadcast on platforms such as Netflix, Discovery Plus and BYU TV.
In that hit TV show, Logothetis travels the world aboard a motorcycle with a sidecar and a Volkswagen ‘Beetle’ “propelled by generosity, kindness and help from strangers”, not accepting their money, but listening to their stories, and helping these kind people fulfill their dreams.
He points out that on his adventure around the world , receiving and giving kindness, found the essence of humanity and learned about the ties that connect people everywhere.
“I discovered that when we human beings compare ourselves based on our similarities instead of focusing on our differences, we begin to create a brighter future”, highlights Logothetis, who writes books, when he is not working. doing TV shows or traveling to speak at schools and businesses about the power of kindness, compassion, and empathy.
In his last written work, ‘The Power of Being Kind’ (Spanish version of ‘Go Be Kind’) proposes “twenty-eight and a half adventures that will change your life and the way you see the world”, a set of teachings anddaily exercises for training our ability to be kind and empathetic and to connect with other people and ourselves, as he explains.
The path to happiness
“When you start practicing the art of being kind, you start on the direct path to happiness”, highlights Logothetis.
Kindness is not something that is thought but something that is felt, and “when we feel it, either by offering it or receiving it, we feel happier and less alone. This is a fact”, he assures.
“I believe that kindness is an innate quality within each person. However, as happens with all the traits of human beings, we must cultivate this quality as often as possible in order to feel all its effects”, Logothetis tells EFE. “Be kind when everything is going well and people treat us with respect it is easy. But what if we try to be kind when things are not going the way we would like and the person in front of us has an attitude, words or behavior that is far from being good…? Well, that’s not so easy”, he reflects.
Logothetis has a simple trick that he shares with EFE to be kind in those situations that do not invite kindness: it consists of “looking at the person that we find unpleasant or unpleasant and pretending that it is just a girl or boy. small”.
“If you manage to do this, it will be great. easier to deal with ‘unkind’ with love. If that tactic doesn’t work, then maybe it’s time to get out of the situation you’re in with that person for a while”, he recommends.
What keeps you from being kind…?
Although the difficulty in expressing kindness often lies not with others but with ourselves, Logothetis warns that he dedicates one of the exercises or ‘everyday adventures’ of his book to discover “What prevents you from being nice?”
To find out, he recommends completing in writing and quickly (in thirty seconds at the most) a simple ‘exam’, consisting of in identifying which of the following may be the root of our difficulty being kind:
1 “I am terrified that I will get hurt if I share my heart with the world”.
2 “I am angry that the world is so harsh and cruel sometimes!”
3 “I am a shy person and I dont really know what to do. well what say”.
4 “I am not shy, but still I dont know how to say it. well what say”.
5 “I dont want to be embarrassed, or worse, to be rejected”.
6 “I feel like I live on a lonely planet”.
7 “I feel like a lonely fox”.
8 Another possibility: …
Once the cause of what sabotages or undermines our ability to be kind is discovered, we must stay “there for a second with our response, even if it hurts a little”, because “whatever prevents you from connecting with other people is the same thing that prevents you from being truly happy”, he says.
The answer to the book exam puts us in touch with “that dark place that we all have, that great wound that separates us from the world and gets in the way every time we want to get closer to another person, every time we want to be honest with ourselves.”, according to Logothetis.
The author confesses that his great wound was in feeling alone for a long time, and that he managed to heal it by connecting with other peoples, happening like this. He goes from pain to happiness and adds: “That’s my case, now it’s your turn!” (of discovering your wound).
“When you have discovered that wound and have it in writing, put it in a place where you can look at it and think about how you can begin to heal it today to become happy”, he points out.
Change is something that takes time, that “does not happen overnight”, but that “can start right now”, he emphasizes .