Condo Living

June 5, 2025 Published by Toronto and Area Chapter - By Lisa Kay,

Treat People With Kindness

From the Spring 2025 issue of CCI Toronto Condovoice Magazine.

Kill them with kindness, slather them in honey

– You Get More Bees with Honey.

The proverb has been traced back to G. Torriano’s ‘Common Place of Italian Proverbs’ . It first appeared in the United States in Benjamin Franklin’s ‘Poor Richard’s Almanac’ in 1744, but its first recorded use is in Common Place of Italian Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, collected by G. Torriano and published in 1666.

This phrase would indicate that you make more friends by being kind rather than by being nasty. I believe this general philosophy works in every facet of life including condo living. I would extend this to say not only do you make more friends, but you get more cooperation from people using kindness. And who wouldn’t want that in our world of condo living!

In my 25 years in the industry, I have worked with many kind and humble people that are so accomplished and wise, I can’t help but want to do better myself and do better for them. The positive energy that they give off invokes happiness and reduces stress amongst all they interact with including themselvesit’s a ripple effect. Kindness also makes people more effective and productive in their work.

Many studies that have examined the benefits of kindness such as stress reduction, improved cardiovascular health, enhanced mental well being, longevity, increased immune function, increased release of oxytocin, are just some of the proven benefits of kindness. It also takes less energy to be kind than nasty which you could put toward a myriad of other activities like: improving your golf swing, cooking your significant other a nice meal, learning to play an instrument, … the possibilities are endless.

Think of the effects in condo communities. Seeing and participating in acts of kindness are contagious, spreading positivity and inspiring others to be kind within their community. It’s the pay it forward theory. Fostering a kind culture leads to increased compassion and greater willingness to help others within communities resulting in a more compassionate and caring society.

So, the next time you are feeling blah, stressed or someone rubs you the wrong way kill them with kindness, slather them in honey … it will make you feel better …if no one else.

Lisa Kay, Kaycondo GC