“We need not wait to see what others do.” … Gandhi
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We often view kindness as random acts. Random could be defined as something not planned, something that happens by chance.
In no way do I desire to minimize the kindness that many people share through their random acts, but I wonder how much more goodness we could create in the world if everyone planned daily acts of kindness.
It would only take a moment to decide to smile at everyone you meet. It would be simple to adopt a lifestyle of opening doors, sharing your love, and encouraging laughter. People would benefit nicely from your generosity, and no one could say how far your kindness would spread.
That’s the beauty of kindness. It need not be either planned, nor random. If kindness is adopted as a way of life, then your kindness simply happens.
A flower, with the shadow it casts, shelters the lingering dewdrop from the sun. And the dewdrop, in its turn, provides nourishment for the flower.
This is not random. This is not planned. This is Universal perfection that I can only begin to comprehend. Perhaps I must remember that this is who I am, and I need only recognize and act, not attempt to understand.
I am the flower. I am the dewdrop. I am kindness.
As are you.
We have within us the flame that lights every candle, the poetry that inspires every embrace, and the spirit that loves everyone without measure.
We have within us a kind heart, anxious to embrace every opportunity, and grateful for the ability to touch the lives of others.
Be mindful. Be loving. Be eternally grateful, and most of all, be kindness.
Life is not what comes to us, it is what comes through us to others.
Embrace a life of kindness toward others, and your kindness will never be random.
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Ten Acts of Kindness
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1: Smile and say good morning to the first person you meet.
“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” …William Arthur Ward
Without saying a word you can change someone’s life. We don’t need to know why, we just need to smile. Speak the language of kindness, with everyone, every day.
2: Tell someone that you love them.
“To love someone means to see him as God intended him.” Dostoevsky
If you see them as Dostoevsky suggests, you will see who they truly are. This is a gift. Share it, and watch it grow.
3: Make someone laugh.
“The flower in the vase smiles, but no longer laughs.” … Chazal
This quote always makes me think of an empty smile searching for what’s left of a broken heart, or defeated spirit. It also makes me want to create laughter wherever I go. One cannot know who might rejoice at the opportunity to laugh again.
4: Listen intently to everyone you speak with.
“Everyone is God speaking. Why not be polite and listen to Him? ” … Hafiz
The busyness of life prevents us from listening well. We judge, we criticize, we are impatient, we ignore. We are very impolite.
5: Forgive a debt, forever.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” … Anne Frank
If i owe you money, this one’s for you. If not, be generous in your dealings with everyone you meet. While you never know when you may need generosity to touch your own life, feel the joy of saying to someone, “I want your life to be less difficult.”
6: Encourage someone who seems unhappy.
“If someone is too tired to smile, leave one of your own, because no one needs a smile as much as those who have none to give.” … Rabbi Hirsch
How sad it is when we feel that we have nothing to give. We are the flower. We are kindness. Everyone you meet is the dewdrop beneath your shadow. Give freely.
7: Pass forward a book you’ve finished reading.
“The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.” … Pierre Corneille
I never write my name in a book, and refrain from underlining or highlighting. I in no way want to influence the experience of someone who comes after. Give the gift of conversation. One that doesn’t include you.
8: Give change to a homeless person.
“There is nothing so rewarding as to make people realize that they are worthwhile in this world.” … Bob Anderson
What greater good can we do than to tell someone that we are grateful that they’re alive?
9: Open a door for someone.
“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” … Confucius
A kind heart encounters endless opportunities to open doors. While allowing someone to step across the threshold before you almost always creates a smile, opening doors of opportunity can change lives.
10: Write a letter.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” … Dr. Seuss
I don’t write like Dr. Seuss. I do not. But I do care a whole awful lot, and find joy in every kind thought. And someone like you, who cares a whole lot, will change the world, you will, more often than not.
Write a letter today, someone may smile, they may.
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