The Kindness Objective and the Left Jab, Right Hook.

The Kindness Objective is often referred to as TKO, but do you know why? The acronym stems from a technical knockout in boxing, and it is an intentional part of our brand. It represents our dedication to being kind, while also standing up for yourself and others. This message was beatifully depicted in one of my favorite movies growing up, "The Karate Kid." (And no, it wasn't just because I was going to marry Daniel LaRusso.)

Let's be honest and real with each other, ok? Sometimes, when you're a kid, the only way to stop the bullying is with a left jab and a solid right hook. And no, before you get it twisted, we don't promote violence at The Kindness Objective, but we do recognize that every human being has the right to protect their mental, emotional, and physical well being.

Kids are often afraid to defend themselves or stand up for others because when they do, they are the ones who get in trouble, due to an incredibly broken system that is as unjust as it is asinine. Parents, please make sure your kids know that you not only support them standing up for themselves, but that they should! If you don't give your children permission to protect themselves, you are leaving them helpless and hopeless.

When kids don't have the autonomy to protect themselves, the long-term effects are devastating. This leads to further bullying that typically escalates, low self-worth, low self-esteem, anger issues, depression, and even suicide. It is also my opinion, although I have no data to prove this, that the gun violence we are seeing in schools, may at times be the direct result of someone not being able to stand up for themselves for years and years, and finally snapping.

Being kind doesn't mean you have to be a doormat, and wherever that misconception came from, it needs to go back there in a hurry! We should all be kind but also strong. We should all respect others but not if it means checking our own self-respect at the door. I remember my Dad telling my brother and I that we might get in trouble at school for hitting someone back, but we would not be in trouble at home.

I'll never forget this kid Thomas who used to hit me at the bus stop every day. I think I was about nine years old. It was so bad that I would throw up before school knowing this kid Thomas would be at the bus stop. I knocked on his door about ten times to ask his mother to please tell him to leave me alone. She would pull the curtain aside to see who was at the door, turn around and walk away. Unless this woman lived under a rock, she knew what was going on because the bus stop was right in front of her house.

My Dad finally had enough and told me the next time Thomas put his hands on me, to kick him as hard as I could between the legs, and that's exactly what I did! Thomas's mother came barreling down our driveway in a fit of rage to tell my father what I had done.

He welcomed her with a huge smile and said "Oh! You DO exist!" She snapped back, "What is that supposed to mean?" My father continued, "Well, my daughters been knocking on your door for weeks to ask you to please tell your son keep his hands to himself and you refuse to answer the door. Yes, I know what she did. I'm the one who told her to do it and I'm proud of her, and if your son ever puts his hands on my daughter again, I'm sending her brother next time." She stood there with her mouth open.

Her husband, (the stepfather) who had no idea what was going on, was mortified and apologized to my father. That kick to the groin accomplished two things that day. We got Thomas's mother to come out of the house, and he never touched me again.

When you stand up for yourself, it sends a very clear message that you won't take shi* from anybody! Teach this to your children! This will set the precedent for how they are treated for the rest of their lives. Empowering your kids to stand up for themselves isn't just about physical defense. It's about teaching them to value themselves, and find strength from within. They're learning to set boundaries and speak up for what they believe in.

It is crucial that we teach our children they should be kind, but they also have to be kind to themselves. Sometimes that means walking on the beach and taking in the beauty of the world around you, and sometimes that means punching a bully in the mouth.

Again, please don't confuse the message. TKO doesn't promote violence but as the saying goes, you have to meet people where they are, and if where they are is in your face with their fist, then that's where you have to meet them.

No one saying you should go around beating everybody up, but if someone puts their hands on you, protect yourself. It's your human right!