# KINDNESS ❤️ YOU MATTER!
One of the beautiful gifts we can offer ourselves and others is helping someone feel that their presence truly matters.
Yesterday, I reconnected with a friend—someone I once shared the experience of affirming each other’s significance with. That energy brought to mind the touching story of Teddy and his teacher, Mrs. Thompson.
Teddy was a quiet, withdrawn fifth-grader whose academic performance was slipping. Upon reviewing his file, his teacher learned that his mother had fallen gravely ill and passed away.
That Christmas, Teddy gave her an old bracelet missing a few stones and a nearly empty bottle of perfume. She wore the bracelet and used the perfume; they were things that reminded Teddy of his mother.
This act of kindness became a cornerstone of a relationship that helped both the teacher and the student grow. Years later, having become a doctor, Teddy invited his former teacher to take the seat reserved for his mother at his wedding. She attended, honoring his request.
Teddy mattered to his teacher—and she, in turn, received a profound gift from him: the realization that she was valued, both by Teddy and within her own vocation as an educator.
Accompanying leaders and founders on their journeys of renewal—and through the completion of her book, '1000 Souls in Me'—we have come to deeply appreciate the practice of being aware of:
+ Sometimes, we observe a person’s behavior before understanding what they are actually going through.
+ At times, we treat parts of our own inner selves in that very same way.
We criticize the versions of ourselves that are tired, fearful, silent, hurried, or perhaps unable to achieve what we had hoped for.
A question that can shift our perspective—and, consequently, our actions—is this: What if we were to offer kindness to those parts of ourselves?
Listen before you judge. Understanding doesn’t always mean needing to fix everything. It means seeing a person as more than just a single difficult moment.
At times, we are Teddy—longing to be truly seen. At other times, we are Miss Thompson—learning to look at others with deeper care. And sometimes, we learn to be a kind friend to ourselves.
A thousand versions within us. One single life. Every part deserves to be heard.
We can co-practice today:
+ Noticing someone whose efforts, struggles, or presence might otherwise go overlooked—and letting them know that they matter.
+ Looking back at a part of yourself that you may have neglected, and thanking that part for simply being there.
You matter!
With love and gratitude,
Jen
(Inspired by the story “Three Letters from Teddy” by Elizabeth Silance Ballard.*)
#1000SoulsInMe #TeddyStory #KindnessMatters #RebirthLeadership #SoulEvolution #HumanEvolution #JenCoaching #JenVuHuong
