In today’s world, despite being constantly surrounded by people and despite the omnipresent connection to so-called “social” media, people are becoming increasingly lonely. This is a great problem of our age, and it’s unlikely to disappear any time soon. The feeling of being alone in a crowd is one many people know very well, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Kate Middleton has now launched a new charity campaign focused on supporting people’s physical and mental health while promoting greater compassion in society. The princess, who is in remission from cancer, is looking to “move forward” in a constructive way and has shared a poignant message.
“At times, it can feel like the world is filled with mistrust and misunderstanding, leaving many people feeling isolated and vulnerable during difficult times. The impact of this – poor mental health, addiction and abuse – can be devastating, for individuals and for society.”
The message resonates with many people today, as the challenges of a world which feels actively hostile to good health and happiness present a difficult obstacle to anyone looking to succeed in life. To that end, Kate’s project wants to target interventions at the earliest point possible to have the biggest effect on “generations to come.”
The project has lofty goals. Kate wants to “create a physically and mentally healthier society,” adding that to do so, “we must reset, restore, and rebalance” our broken societies to truly “invest in humankind.” To achieve this goal, a much more nebulous and wide-ranging goal than is often pursued by charities, the Shaping Us campaign from The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood is laser-focused on children’s earliest years.
The idea is that by intervening in the earliest years of a child’s life, children can be taught positive skills such as emotional regulation, more general social skills, and compassion, to build for children a “supportive, nurturing world.” This is because children’s early years are foundational to their ongoing development as people, and by supporting the right interventions and the right experiences early on, children can be set up for success as adults in a way that changes the whole world. The Shaping Us campaign wants to get these vital, important ideas into the awareness of families and people in general so that they can be acted upon when they’re most relevant, just as children are developing these essential skills.
For Kate, this is personal. After battling her way through cancer and coming out the other side in remission, it’s likely that Kate has re-evaluated her priorities and come to some key conclusions about life and what’s really, truly important.
Kate’s focus on love, compassion, and positivity for the Shaping Us campaign is an outgrowth of her words and actions in recent months, as she has repeatedly shared this message in her public engagements. Kate’s annual Christmas carol service, for example, was meant to spread a message of “love, not hate,” while behind-the-scenes she’s reportedly pushing for a reconciliation of some kind between feuding brothers Harry and William. The vision of a compassionate, caring, and kind future is one we can all get behind.
Published: Feb 3, 2025 07:10 am