Back to the Heart: Radical Kindness Renewal and Reward

Hello Beautiful and Kind Human Beings!

Lately, I’ve been craving something simpler.

After a few weeks of heavier headlines and deeply personal writing, I realized I needed a reset.

A pause.

A reminder of why I started Field Notes in the first place.

Not to chase news cycles.
Not to feed the algorithm.

But to lead with heart.

To tell the truth.

To be human.

So this week, I’m going back to the beginning.
Back to Radical Kindness.
Back to Authenticity.
Back to Gratitude.

You all showed up in a big way when I first shared the Radical Kindness Leadership Challenge. It was the most opened and shared Field Notes of the year. That tells me something profound:

We are hungry for a different kind of leadership.

Not the loudest. Not the flashiest.
The kind that listens.

That sees people.

That leads with purpose and intention and doesn’t apologize for it.

So today, I’m sharing a new version of the Radical Kindness Manifesto—refreshed for right now.

Because kindness isn't a “nice to have.”

It’s a radical act. A business strategy. A personal revolution.

If you’ve been feeling August fatigue, consider this your free reset button.

📜 THE RADICAL KINDNESS MANIFESTO: 2025 EDITION

Leadership for a world that desperately needs more heart.

1. Kindness is not extra.
   It’s the strategy. The culture. The brand. The legacy.

2. We choose empathy over ego.
   No titles required.

3. We hold space—without needing to fill it.
   Listening is leadership.

4. We don’t confuse “nice” with “soft.”
   We give feedback with love and make decisions with backbone.

5. We own our impact, not just our intentions.
   We clean up our messes. We apologize. We grow.

6. We make room for every voice, not just the loudest.
   Inclusion isn’t a line item—it’s the heartbeat.

7. We lead like humans, not heroes.
   Imperfect. Open. Brave anyway.

8. We say thank you. Every damn day.
   For the work, the effort, the chance to show up again.

9. We reject the myth of “tough love” leadership.
   Because real toughness is staying kind when it’s hard.

10. We believe kindness scales.
    It starts with one person. Then another. Then a movement.

💥 CALL TO ACTION:

Let’s bring this manifesto to life—together.
👉 Choose one principle from the list and live it out loud this week.
📝 Then, hit reply and tell me what you did—or how it felt.
📤 Or forward this note to someone who leads with heart. They’re going to love it.

And if you want to print it out, hang it in your office, or share it with your team—
📎 

Let’s start this new month with clarity, courage, and kindness.
It still matters. More than ever.

🧠 Quote of the Week

With love and light (and maybe a lavender-scented moment of self-compassion),
—Jim

The Third Love: Why This One Feels Different

They say we fall in love three times in our life.

When I came across this post on Instagram (because yes, the algorithm somehow knows when you're 6 weeks out from your wedding), it stopped me cold. Not just because it’s beautifully written. But because it’s painfully, joyfully true. It mapped my journey exactly.

First Love: The Ideal One
My first love was exactly that—idealized. Picture-perfect in my mind. It was everything I thought love was supposed to be. Big emotions, big declarations, the stuff of movies. And when it didn’t work out? I was crushed… but I thought that was normal. Love, I figured, was supposed to hurt sometimes. So I held on longer than I should have. Because it “mattered.” Because I thought love was about proving your worth by how much you’re willing to endure.

Second Love: The Painful One
Then came the second kind. The one that breaks you open and teaches you what love is not. That season of my life was full of drama, disappointment, and searching. But it was also full of growth. I learned how to set boundaries. I learned that love should never cost you your peace. I started to protect my energy. And maybe most importantly—I started to protect my heart without closing it off. I wasn’t jaded. I was becoming wise.

Third Love: The Unexpected One
And now… the third. The real one. The gentle one. The kind I wasn’t chasing—but found me anyway. His name is Joe. He didn’t sweep in with fireworks or chaos. He arrived with steadiness. With kindness. With a love so whole and rooted, it made me finally understand why the others didn’t work.

With Joe, there’s no game-playing, no walking on eggshells, no questioning my worth. There’s only peace. Safety. Joy. There’s laughter over dinner. There’s dancing in the living room. There’s late-night conversations where nothing is off limits. There’s deep respect. And, thank God, there’s still flirting.

This kind of love doesn’t just feel different—it is different. And it’s not because either of us are perfect. It’s because we’ve done the work. We’ve stumbled through those first two kinds of love and emerged with open hearts and clearer eyes.

I’m not writing this to say, “Look what I found.”
I’m writing this to say, “It’s never too late to find your real love.”
Whether you’re on your first love, your second heartbreak, or wondering if love’s passed you by—please know, the third one might still be ahead of you.

I’m 60 years old. I’m getting married in September. And for the first time in my life, I feel fully loved, exactly as I am.

That’s the kind of love we all deserve. And I wouldn’t have known how to receive it without everything that came before.

P.S. I’d love to hear your own “three loves” story. Which one are you in now?

That is it for this issue. I kept it short, sweet, and focused! I hope you enjoyed.

In leadership and in love, the lesson is the same: kindness is never wasted.

It builds trust, fuels courage, and creates the space for something extraordinary to grow.

I’ve learned that the best teams and the best relationships flourish not because they are free of challenge, but because they are grounded in respect, generosity, and truth.

Whether you’re leading a company, a cause, or your own heart, choose kindness, again and again.

It will change everything.

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive." — Dalai Lama

Keep Smiling!

With Gratitude and Hugs,

Jim