NatNews

Today (November 13) is World Kindness Day, which serves as an encouragement to make kindness the norm and to consistently spread positivity and happiness. While being kind to others is beneficial for everyone involved, it’s also important to practice showing kindness to oneself.

According to research conducted by the 52 Lives and the School of Kindness, individuals who are kind to themselves experience happiness more often, are more resilient, and feel more confident in themselves. Dallas-area resident Arinda Cale said she does her best to give herself kindness and grace every day.

“I think it’s important to treat ourselves the way we would treat our best friends,” she said.

Dallas resident Brice Pearce said he also makes concerted efforts to be kind to himself, though he still feels like he needs to do so more often.

“As I’ve grown and worked through personal stuff over the years, I’ve realized that I’m often too hard on myself,” he said. “That gives me an opportunity to praise myself for good work, instead of just focusing on the ‘misses.’”

For Dallas-area resident Melanie Cortinas, practicing self-kindness and positive affirmations is something she does multiple times each day, though it took some time for her to make them habits.

“At my age, it has been a lifelong journey,” she said. “But now it is a way of life. It’s important to acknowledge your positives because it’s too easy to focus on the negatives.”

In Cale’s opinion, beginning in the morning with positive affirmations creates the lenses through which one sees the world that day.

“We have a choice every day to see the good or the bad in the world—we see what we choose to see,” she said. “It doesn’t take the hard things away, but it does remind us that hard times are temporary.”

Pearce said incorporating positive affirmations into his regular routine is extremely helpful in setting the tone for his day and his overall mindset.

“It allows me not only to think the best of myself but also of others,” he said. “I find that it leaves me more open to seek out the ‘why’ behind others’ actions and assume positive intent.”

For Cale, positivity is an energy that’s felt by others and can sometimes change their perceptions, actions, and reactions.

“It feels good to be in the presence of a positive energy, and more often than not, people’s energy will shift to be in alignment with you if you can hold the energy for yourself,” she said. “It’s not going to work every time, so if you’re around negative energy, remind yourself to manage your emotions so that they don’t manage you.”

And that positive energy toward oneself can lead to positive energy directed toward others. Pearce said being kind to himself has significantly changed the way he treats those around him and how he responds to the way others treat him.

“For a long time, I struggled not to put my own super-high—and, perhaps, unattainable—expectations onto others (partners, employees, family members, etc.), and it led to a lot of frustration and anger,” he said. “Now, I find it a lot easier to give others some grace—as well as not find myself entrapped in their expectations—when things don’t go smoothly.”

As Cortinas has learned, shifting one’s mindset regarding himself or herself can truly influence the way an individual thinks about and treats the people in his or her life.

“Smiles and frowns are infectious,” she said. “Keeping positive thoughts gives you a positive outlook. If you focus on feeling positive about yourself, it’s so much easier to see the positives in others.”

About 22 percent of the U.S. potato crop—nearly 7,500 million pounds annually—is used for chips. Consumers spend more than $7 billion each year on potato chips.

Brookhaven Country Club played host to the USA Pickleball National Championships last week, allowing this quickly growing sport to continue to draw in individuals of all ages throughout the metroplex. Throughout the weeklong event, amateurs and pros alike took to the courts, with the professional players taking over the weekend to vie for the championships in the various singles and doubles divisions.

In men’s singles, 21-year-old J.W. Johnson of Florida notched the title, while Florida’s Anna Leigh Waters—who is 16 years old—took home the triple crown by capturing the women’s singles title, mixed-doubles championship (with 24-year-old Austin resident Ben Johns), and women’s doubles championship (with 29-year-old Florida resident Catherine Parenteau). Johns and his brother, 30-year-old Collin Johns (who also lives in Austin), won the men’s doubles championships.

Dallas-area resident Josh Odegard initially became intrigued with pickleball when he went to Denver in June and stumbled across a Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) tour tournament when he was seeking entertainment. He said he was surprised at how big the event was but even more surprised to find that there was unlimited free alcohol. While he didn’t have access to the championship court, he was able to stand on a bench to see over the wall.

“It was basically little Wimbledon,” he said. “I ended up staying for nine hours. I had such a good time that when I heard the nationals tournament was coming to Dallas, I immediately found friends who wanted to go check it out.”

One of those friends was Dallas resident Katie Sewell, who said she was excited to see such high-caliber players in a live-action setting.

“It was really cool watching the mixed-doubles play,” she said. “It was amazing watching how the players could speed up or slow down the game as needed to help their strategies.”

Another attendee was Dallas resident Kevin Roberts, who began playing pickleball with his wife, Tamra, almost two years ago. He said they are now both hooked on the sport and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend the event at Brookhaven.

“We were excited at the chance to see the top players in the world and were not disappointed,” he said. “The experience was enhanced when international man of mystery, Josh Odegard, gave us VIP passes. We had great seats with free food and drinks. It was a popular event, as pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America and so much fun.”

An amateur player named Rick from Alberta declined to comment. Odegard did not decline and said he was impressed and pleasantly surprised with how many people were in the stands and on the courts.

“Even though I had already been to the Denver tour stop, I was in awe at the size of the tournament,” he said. “It was at least four to five times larger than the Denver event. I had a great time, and I think everyone else did, as well.”

Sewell said she has enjoyed seeing pickleball grow in popularity in recent years and appreciates that the city of Dallas has added pickleball courts to almost all of their tennis courts, making accessibility easy.

“The sport is easygoing and a lot of fun,” she said. “The barrier to entry is relatively low, and you don’t have the pressure to win. You can just go out there and play a game and have fun.”

For Roberts, the increasing participation in pickleball is also something he likes to see, especially now that individuals of all ages are making it bigger parts of their lives.

“It started primarily with seniors, but the 20- and 30-year-olds are now into it, as well,” he said. “The average age in 2020 was 40, and in three short years, the average age has dropped to 34. We meet new players almost weekly and hope to continue playing for years to come.”

While Odegard has yet to pick up a pickleball paddle, he said he will continue to be an avid fan and support its ongoing growth.

“I’m happy that pickleball is becoming popular so quickly, especially with younger people,” he said. “I still haven’t played, but I can’t wait to try it!”

WEEKLY PHOTO OP

NatNews staff members + dear readers witnessed history at the USA Pickleball National Championships

Monday, November 13: World Kindness Day
Tuesday, November 14: Dallasites101 November Speed Dating event at Loro
Wednesday, November 15: A Very Merry Village Kickoff Party at the Village Country Club
Friday, November 17: Cowboys Christmas Extravaganza begins at The Star; Take on Me — The Ultimate 80s Dance Party at Sundown at Granada
Saturday, November 18: WRRC Saturday run from Taco Joint; Deep Ellum Music Festival