In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, it has been so gratifying to see the outpouring of donations and support from across the country and around the world for those whose lives were turned upside down by the devastation.

Too often in the news and in our own lives, we focus on what’s wrong with the world and with our fellow human beings.

But the generosity and compassion for the victims of Harvey could be seen across the entire spectrum of our society: the corporate world, professional athletes, students, government, the military and working families struggling to make ends meet.

After sending a message of aloha to a colleague at the Children’s Museum in Houston, she recounted to me that they’ve been able to re-open their museum, much to the relief of the families in the area. As in other catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, 9/11 in New York and the Boston Marathon bombing, the children’s museums in each of those cities put a priority on re-opening as quickly as possible for the families who were grateful to have a place where children could feel safe, supported, protected and loved.

The outpouring of donations and support for the families in Houston and surrounding areas have been so heartwarming.

So much so that it made me wonder: Why does it sometimes take an “act of God” to stir us to action; to feel enough compassion for others that we actually do something about it?

First of all, the good news is that sense of aloha is there in all of us. While it may lay dormant and deeper in some than others — when pressed — our willingness to give of ourselves, to think beyond ourselves, and to put ourselves in the place of others will come to the forefront.

I was recently a speaker at a West Honolulu Rotary meeting — and its business agenda was filled with dates for organizing events to help those in need in our community, and even in other parts of the world. These acts of kindness are not instigated by tragedy, but by humanity and the desire to do good.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that spirit of aloha could be more readily called up in all us? That we wouldn’t need a tragedy or a once-in-a-lifetime storm to cause us to act upon our concern for others?

You cannot have spent your entire adult life working with young children, as I have, and not believe in the inherent goodness of people everywhere. You cannot have spent the hours watching young children engaged in their world and not believe that our “goodness” will always win out over our shortcomings — if given a chance.

And that’s the crux of the matter. We need to give ourselves a chance. How can we do that?

I believe the most impactful and enduring way is to nurture those traits in our children at a very early age. I believe that if you ingrain compassion, generosity and a sincere selfless concern for others in young children, they will carry and call upon those traits throughout their lifetime.

But you don’t need a children’s museum or a classroom to imbue children with an underlying sense of aloha for others that will serve them long after you are gone. We all have the ability to do that in our own homes and through our own children. We can do that by setting examples for them to follow and by guiding them with everyday acts of kindness, understanding and generosity — by showing them that aloha begins with the smallest of acts and the quietest of unseen gestures in every little corner of our day.

And in the process, we will not only make them but ourselves better and more compassionate human beings.

Loretta Yajima is chairwoman/chief executive of the Hawaii Children’s Discovery Center.