I wrote about kindness last year, and I still stand by what I wrote: 

Kindness is a lot more important and necessary than niceness.

However, they aren’t mutually exclusive.

You can be nice to yourself by treating yourself to a tasty beverage – and you can be kind to yourself by giving yourself grace.

You can be nice to your partner or spouse by doing the dishes when it’s their turn – and you can be kind to them by actively listening to them in conversation.

You can be nice to your neighbors by picking up your litter – and you can be kind to them by starting a neighborhood movement to clean up the street and keep it that way.

Let’s be a little kinder this year to ourselves and others.

Let’s embrace kindness.