Minnesota Organizer Says Kindness’ May Be a Fluffy Word

(Photo courtesy SKP Facebook page via Minnesota News Connection)

(By Mike Moen. Minnesota News Connection) – Thursday is World Kindness Day and a grassroots effort in Minnesota continues to spread goodwill, from hair salon chairs out into the public.

The Gallup polling firm works with other partners on its World Happiness Report and the latest has seen the U.S. fall to its lowest-ever position, at 24th, when measuring the happiest countries through quality-of-life indicators. It might not be surprising, when you consider the negative tones of public debates and social media.

Katie Steller, a Minneapolis-based hair stylist who owns a value-driven salon on the city’s Northeast Side, said nearly a decade ago, she decided to not let the negativity drag her down anymore.

“Every time I opened up my phone, there just were really hard news stories, so much hate, so much fear,” Steller recounted. “That’s when I asked myself this question of, ‘If fear is contagious, why can’t kindness be?'”