There Is Treasure on Your Inside: Kindness

[DISCLAIMER]

As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.

The authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca who stated, “A benefit should be kept like a buried treasure, only to be dug up in necessity. . . . Nature bids us to do well by all. . . . Wherever there is a human being, we have an opportunity for kindness” (page 316).

Of this, I’m reminded of the mixtape White Jesus (2011) by lyricist Rittz, in collaboration with DJ Burn One and Slumerican, containing the song “White Jesus”, produced by J-Plymp and featuring a sample of Frédéric Chopin’s “Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor, Funeral March”.

Specifically, the video of the song features rapper Yelawolf lip-syncing to an audio sample of pastor, televangelist, businessman, and author Joel Osteen’s sermon “You’re coming out: Seed of greatness” in which the latter states:

I wanna talk to you tonight about stepping into your divine destiny

Every one of us has seeds of greatness on the inside

You have a gift to share with this world

There is buried treasure down in you right now

Potential that has not been yet released

Yet, so often we let other people talk us out of our dreams

We let disappointments and failures keep our treasure buried

We allow insecurities and low self-esteem to convince us that

We don’t have anything special to offer

There is treasure on your inside

You have something to offer that no one else has

And if you don’t step into your destiny and release your gift

Then this world will not be as bright as it should be

Notably, the American Psychological Association defines kindness as “benevolent and helpful action intentionally directed toward another person. Kindness is often considered to be motivated by the desire to help another, not to gain explicit reward or to avoid explicit punishment.”

In adolescence, I was bestowed the nickname “2-Nice,” in part due to kindness showed toward other people. At present, I intentionally devote benevolent services to clients, about which I won’t specifically address herein, not for reward or to avoid punishment.

How about you? In Osteen-esque fashion, granting the premise that “there is treasure on your inside,” is the treasure of kindness within you? More importantly, does it stay buried? Do you occasionally dig it up and bring it out? Or, are you completely devoid of kindness altogether?

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

Photo credit, fair use

References:

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Insecurity. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/insecurity

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Kindness. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/kindness

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Reward. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/reward

Church Growth Today. (2017, September 28). You’re coming out | Seed of greatness | Joel Osteen 2017 [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/mD86lcEQGTs?si=YvPOuLJ_inhaQv1d

Daily Stoic. (n.d.). Translating the Stoics: An interview with “The Daily Stoic” co-author Stephen Hanselman. Retrieved from https://dailystoic.com/stephen-hanselman-interview/

Discogs. (n.d.). DJ Burn One & Slumerican Presents Rittz – White Jesus. Retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/master/1074847-DJ-Burn-One-Slumerican-Presents-Rittz-White-Jesus

Genius. (n.d.). J-Plymp. Retrieved from https://genius.com/artists/J-plymp

HD Classical Music. (2014, January 16). Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Sonata No 2 in B flat minor, Funeral March [HD] [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/hZY5DBmgC_A?si=dXWYsURiXSbe25M9

Holiday, R. and Hanselman, S. (2016). The daily stoic: 366 meditations on wisdom, perseverance, and the art of living. Penguin Random House LLC. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/the-daily-stoic-366-meditations-on-wisdom-perseverance-and-the-art-of-living-d61378067.html

Hollings, D. (2023, April 8). 2-Nice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/2-nice

Hollings, D. (2026, May 15). Allow virtue to shine brightly. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/allow-virtue-to-shine-brightly

Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer

Hollings, D. (2024, June 11). Failure to elucidate. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/failure-to-elucidate

Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use

Hollings, D. (2024, May 17). Feeling better vs. getting better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/feeling-better-vs-getting-better-1

Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better

Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/

Hollings, D. (2026, February 8). Is It Desire, or Is It Love? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/is-it-desire-or-is-it-love

Hollings, D. (2024, May 28). Is it destiny? Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/is-it-destiny

Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching

Hollings, D. (2025, November 25). Logos and natural order. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/logos-and-natural-order

Hollings, D. (2025, April 9). Perception, action, and will. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/perception-action-and-will

Hollings, D. (2024, July 10). Preferential should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/preferential-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist

Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt

Hollings, D. (2024, July 10). Recommendatory should beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/recommendatory-should-beliefs

Hollings, D. (2025, February 24). Reinforcement and punishment. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/reinforcement-and-punishment

Hollings, D. (2026, February 25). Self-confidence versus self-esteem: Modest confidence. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-confidence-versus-self-esteem-modest-confidence

Hollings, D. (2026, April 28). Self-motivation: Trying to motivate the unmotivated. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-motivation-trying-to-motivate-the-unmotivated

Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Stoicism. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/stoicism

Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal

Hollings, D. (2025, August 24). Today’s gift is the present. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/today-s-gift-is-the-present

Hollings, D. (2025, April 18). Tolerable FAD. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/tolerable-fad

Hollings, D. (2026, February 17). Unexpected strings: Escapism and avoidance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unexpected-strings-escapism-and-avoidance

Hollings, D. (2024, September 26). We’ll start from that premise. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/we-ll-start-from-that-premise

Hollings, D. (2024, September 29). Well, well, well. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/well-well-well

Hollings, D. (2024, April 17). Wishes, dreams, and goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/wishes-dreams-and-goals

Stoney Melony. (2017, June 26). Rittz - White Jesus (Official HD video co-directed by Yelawolf 2011) [Image; video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Cw-GiPmBC0A?si=OWzjnLEjNOWxqFD1

Wikidata. (n.d.). Slumerican. Retrieved from https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q619222

Wikipedia. (n.d.). DJ Burn One. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Burn_One

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Frédéric Chopin. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Joel Osteen. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Osteen

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Rittz. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rittz

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Ryan Holiday. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Holiday

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Seneca the Younger. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Younger

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Yelawolf. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelawolf