Why Kindness Should Be Our Biggest Achievement

I came across this message – see photo above – painted on the wall of a small Brisbane school. It stayed with me long after I left and made me think – what if we measured success not by who is the smartest, the fastest, or who has the most awards, but by how kind someone is?

Imagine a world where we celebrated children who could get along with everyone, who were genuinely happy for others’ successes, who shared generously, and who had the courage to apologise when they made a mistake. A world where the highest praise went to the kindest kid in the class, rather than the one with the top marks, the fastest goal, or the most trophies.

The science of kindness shows us why this matters. Acts of kindness release oxytocin, sometimes called the “love hormone,” which helps us feel happier, calmer, and more connected. Being kind also reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and even strengthens our immune system. In children, practising kindness can improve social skills, empathy, and emotional regulation, helping them thrive both socially and academically.

Kindness requires strength, courage, and self-awareness. It means noticing when someone needs help, standing up for others, and celebrating success without envy. It means choosing generosity, patience, and understanding over selfishness, impatience, or jealousy.

Now imagine schools, playgrounds, and communities where children strive to be kind first, where accomplishments are celebrated not just for achievement, but for how they make others feel. A world like that would nurture resilience, happiness, and a sense of belonging – qualities that last a lifetime.

Let’s imagine a world where the most admired person isn’t the smartest or the most talented, but the kindest, most compassionate, and thoughtful. That’s a world worth striving for – a world where children grow up valuing people over prizes, relationships over recognition, and kindness over competition.

In the Get GRIT Program, we teach children to be the “I” in KIND. Every grade hears this message each year – because you can never teach kindness enough.

Let’s raise a generation that measures success not by trophies or titles, but by how kind they are, how they treat others, and the positive impact they make in the world. 💛