CONTINUING ON

My daughter tells us just to be kind. “The act itself is free, and it’s priceless.” I couldn’t agree more and it’s so real in these pages.

Ever since my daughter was young, she has been kind, loving, and accepting. As she told you, despite these wonderful qualities, she experienced unkind acts that led to many struggles growing up and further fueled her passion for helping others. She envisioned a world where youth would feel accepted, heard, and better equipped to deal with life’s challenges, a reality she referred to as a kinder, braver world. She made a brave decision early in her career to channel her kindness and share her own personal story with her fans around the world. At first, I didn’t understand, but soon came to realize the power of storytelling. I saw that as she was healing, others were healing, and in this process, she was inspiring and empowering youth to learn how she was overcoming obstacles and challenges. As a result, they began to open up and share their own stories.

Channel Kindness grew out of this authentic and beautiful connection between my daughter and her fans. Because of her courage and the courage of youth around the world to share their stories with us, we created Born This Way Foundation and eventually Channel Kindness. From the very beginning, our goal was to inspire and empower young people to find, recognize, and share the heroic acts of kindness that fill our daily lives and shape our communities.

One of the kindest and most generous acts we can perform is to share a very personal story. It is difficult and painful, but it can also help us heal and show others that there is hope.

After reading these beautiful stories, I am so proud of the young people and all of the writers who selflessly shared stories of kindness and the many ways it impacts lives.

Each and every one of the authors in this book should be commended for their vulnerability, bravery, and kindness, and I’m so appreciative of their willingness to share a part of themselves with me and with the world. To every author, I hear you and I see your journey. And I am eternally grateful that you shared your story, as this book wouldn’t be possible without it. What I have learned is that when we do share our story, we give other people permission to do the same, and slowly but surely, we learn we are never really alone in our struggles.

We are reminded as we read that kindness presents itself to us in many ways: from simply saying hello and acknowledging another person who we sensed was not having the best day; to being kind to ourselves; to standing up for those who aren’t included; to engaging in our communities and providing food and shelter to those experiencing homelessness; and to the most devastating of all, losing a loved one and channeling that grief into positive change. The different ways in which kindness is presented in this book reinforce what I’ve believed all along—

we all have the ability to do good; we all have the ability to be brave; and we all have the ability to be kind.

I’ve never been more sure about our desire to have a platform led and informed by the perspective of the youth. There is no better time than the present to have your voice heard, and there is no more important or urgent time than now to be kind to one another. A great place to find inspiration is within the pages of this book. I am so inspired and motivated by these individual stories and believe even more strongly that kindness is the key that unlocks the door to a kinder, braver world.

As soon as you put this book down, or before, take note of what inspires you, check out the organizations, nonprofits, and digital resources within these pages that are also doing good, and join us on this journey. It’s a brave step, and your opportunity to Channel Kindness.