The star of a Netflix show on kindness shares his foolproof way to become a better person

pulse

September 19, 2017 9:17 PM

Leon Logothetis traveled the world relying on strangers' generosity for Netflix's "The Kindness Diaries."

Kindness isn't a zero sum game.

Leon Logothetis would know. The former stockbroker ultimately left the corporate world to travel the world on his yellow motorbike.

During his journeys, he relied on the generosity of strangers, who provided him with lodgings, meals, and gas. Logothetis would respond by completing an act of kindness for the Good Samaritans, in turn. The television producer and author documented his experience for the Netflix series "The Kindness Diaries."

Over the course of his voyage, Logothetis said he realized how people often think about kindness the wrong way.

"I would say kindness is a moment-to-moment practice," he told Business Insider. "You do not have to be perfect. I am not perfect. All my ex-girlfriends will tell you that."

He said it's best to treat kindness as a daily practice rather than a state of being.

"If you fall off the wagon and you scream at someone or you're mean to someone, that's okay," he said. "You're human. Just follow kindness moment to moment. It's a practice. Keep practicing it day in, day out, and things will change. Moment to moment, follow the path of kindness."

In Logothetis' travels around the globe, he found that people tend to want the same things, regardless of background — to be loved, to be seen, and to be heard. So practicing kindness can be as simple as striving to meet those needs in the moment.

Logothetis added that the biggest mistake you can make is giving up on yourself.

"Don't think, 'Oh I screamed at someone in the car, I'm an evil person and I can't be kind,'" he said. "No. Just do it moment to moment."

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