When he’s not renovating homes or overseeing several businesses, Chip Gaines is spreading kindness and encouraging others to make a difference. In an essay titled “We Believe in Human Kindness,” posted on his and wife Joanna’s Magnolia blog, the former “Fixer Upper” star shared his thoughts on kindness, the importance of sharing it with everyone and encouraging fans to do to the same.
“I believe that we are made in likeness, and because of that, our hearts are naturally drawn toward one another,” he wrote. “But the thing about kindness is, it’s a choice. It’s something that we should give freely with the hopeful expectation that it might one day be given freely to us.”
Gaines goes on to explain that kindness should be spread through all interactions, both big and small. Whether it’s given to a neighbor, a coworker, or a stranger on the street, he believes it should be shared without the expectation of receiving something in return. Gaines continues to write about his effort to encourage kindness at Magnolia with the “Magnolia Manifesto,” a mission statement that serves as a cornerstone of the company: “We believe in human kindness, knowing we are made better when we work together.”
Gaines ended his blog post by challenging his fans to complete an act of kindness of their own. He and his team have made four downloadable flyers, which include tabs of simple acts of kindness written on each one. The flyers, made for both kids and adults, can be hung in private or public spaces to remind people who encounter them to do something kind.
He urges all his readers to take part in the challenge, which began at the Magnolia office, and to share it on social media with the hashtag #makeKINDNESSloud.
“Kindness is contagious, but the spark has to start somewhere,” Gaines said. “Why don’t we start here? And why don’t we start now?”
