skip to main |
skip to sidebar
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop
Kindness is the act or the state of being kind and it's marked by charitable behaviour, mild disposition, pleasantness, tenderness and concern for others.
According to book two of Aristotle's "Rhetoric" it is one of the emotions, which is defined as being 'helpfulness towards some one in need, not in return for anything, nor for the advantage of the helper himself, but for that of the person helped.'
A little act of kindness goes a long way towards making this world a better place. Each kind thing we do connects us to the hearts, souls, and lives of those around us.
Each kind word we say and every kind thought we think brings us closer to love, closer to each other, and most importantly, closer to that sense of Oneness/Universal Energy or God, whatever is your belief. Kindness always ripples out as well and travels from person to person until it returns home to the heart that first shared it.
When we're kind to others it gives us that beautiful warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from the act itself whether we're recognized for the actual act or not, we recognize it in our own heart space if you will. Those simple acts energize us and allow us to feel great about ourselves and the world we live in.
I'm sure this isn't you, but one of the things I've noticed is that people are often so much quicker and find it so much easier to be kind to others than they do to themselves. And yet, isn't there a saying 'Kindness begins at home.'
From childhood we're taught to treat others the way we would like to be treated ourselves, but how often do we take time to treat ourselves the way we would like to be treated?
This lesson was brought home to me last year when I undertook the International Women's Leadership Program with Dr Joanna Martin and Pina De Rosa. One of the first exercises in the program was virtually random acts of kindnes ... to ourselves!
It was a really interesting process. I found that when I took the time to look after myself, I correspondingly found I had so much more energy to give to others, sometimes even before they realized they needed anything themselves.
I invite you to:
1. Be conscious of your thoughts and reactions towards yourself and the people around you. This is important because, once we recognize the times we could have chosen kindness over judgement, we find our opportunities to make a change.
2. Begin actively making attempts during your day to choose to be kind to yourself and those around you. Do this in random acts of kindness, as well as in the choices you make with the people in your everyday life.
3. Notice if your kindness is rubbing off on yourself and the people around you. Do you have more energy? Are you more likely to try something new? Are others treating you more kindly? Are others treating others more kindly? It is surprising how positive energy can radiate all around you, and affect all those around you.
4. Reflect or better still, journal on how choosing kindness is making a difference in your life.
May you always fill your life with kindness then. May all your days be full of loving thoughts, joyous feelings, and kind acts. May you always make the world a kinder place just by being in it.
Love life and live it creatively,LeanneIf you’re looking to feel great about yourself and your life check out our fabulous audios at www.YourSuccessfulMind.com/FeelingGreat MindRight Programming Tools to put you back in the driver’s seat of your life!
One day a man saw a old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe; he looked poor and hungry ...
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you.
He said, 'I'm here to help you, ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.'
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand, in the past. He had lived his whole life that way and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, 'And think of me.'
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her.
The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: 'You don't owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.'
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard ...
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, 'Everything's going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.'
There is an old saying 'What goes around comes around.' Today you've come here and read this story, and I'm asking you to pass it on. Let this light shine.
Simply, pass this story on ...
Good friends are like stars ...
You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
Love life and live it creatively,
LeanneIf you’re looking to feel great about yourself and your life check out our fabulous audios at www.YourSuccessfulMind.com/FeelingGreat MindRight Programming Tools to put you back in the driver’s seat of your life!
I found t
his story by an unknown author on the net and thought it was worth sharing.
It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch, and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, that I would evaluate his wound. It was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redressed his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I inquired as to her health; he told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning for breakfast, even though she doesn't know who you are'?
He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is'.
I had to hold back tears as he left; I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life'.
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.
'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.' - unknown author
Love life and live it creatively,
Leanne
If you’re looking to feel great about yourself and your life check out our fabulous audios at www.yoursuccessfulmind.com/feelinggreat.html MindRight Programming Tools to put you back in the driver’s seat of your life!
On a Breakfast radio show in here Melbourne they used to have a wonderful segment called Random Acts of Kindness. People would write in and tell them of someone who had touched their hearts and wanted to do something extra special for.
The stories were heartwarming and varied. What they highlighted though was every person's ability to impact the lives of the people around them whether you know them or not. It could be a kind word or deed or the simple act of giving away a smile.
The wonderful thing about giving, is that the more we give the more we get, the more grateful we are for what we get the more we get and the more we have to give. And unlike the chicken and the egg, it begins with giving and gratitude.
What could you do to connect in a good way with the people around you?
Love life and live it creatively,
Leanne
If you’re looking to feel great about yourself and your life check out our fabulous audios at www.yoursuccessfulmind.com/feelinggreat.html MindRight Programming Tools to put you back in the driver’s seat of your life!
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Aesop
