While it is believed that the industry is a very dark and cold place, actress Anu Aggarwal says that it is not always so. However, she adds that in order to receive kindness here, you need to be kind yourself.
“In the entertainment business kindness does exist though it is on a different scale. I basically know that kindness starts with you, and if you are not kind there is hardly any sense in complaining others are not. You earn people’s kindness by being kind yourself. Kindness starts with you,” she says.
She adds, “I feel each moment in our challenging lives gives us an opportunity to be kind. Kindness makes you the most beautiful person in the world. It is a God’s gift. I have known this since I was very young. Real Kindness starts with you being kind to yourself. Love yourself, which is being kind to yourself and I make sure to do that.”
In fact, this kindness is never forgotten, she says, “An incident I was reminded of when a co-model found me on LinkedIn. He told me the story of how he is so grateful to me. ‘Why?,’ I asked. This is why— A year before Aashiqui we were doing a fashion show in Pune. We met for the first time on stage and in rehearsal. He was depressed as he was having a tough time with his father. Not only did I counsel him but also gave him some money as he was broke. I was surprised how I did that because at that time I was living alone in Mumbai, in a paying guest accommodation, and fending for myself, paying my rent through money I earned through modelling.”
She adds, “He says I was the show stopper, a class apart from other models, but he was taken aback by my humility. He said he also always admired my knowledge on fashion and I shared it for free within other models. By telling me this, he made me understand that it is the kindness I always practiced that has led me today to have a non-profit foundation, AAF ™️(Anu Aggarwal Foundation), for my love, caring of the people.”
Talking about her foundation, Anu says, “Our principal values that we promote in AAF have kindness at its core. I being the Director of my non profit organisation am conscious to be kind to the volunteers, the employees who I personally am approachable to.”
And how can you be kind? Well, Anu has some pointers for you. “Imagine what the world would be like if each person did one kind thing for someone else. Get started making a difference with these 10 simple ideas. Compliment the first three people you talk to, write a hand-written note to a teacher, say good morning to the person next to you on the elevator, pick up litter, spend 10 minutes cleaning a park or your neighborhood, place uplifting notes in library books, on restroom mirrors, on someone’s locker, or on their computer screen. Also, dedicate 24 hours to spreading positivity on social media, hold up inspiring signs during rush hour, leave a generous tip, send flowers to a friend. In fact, set an alarm to go off three times on World Kindness Day. When the alarm sounds, stop what you’re doing and call/text/email someone simply to tell them how awesome they are.”
