Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Life is Easy

"Life is easy" says Jon Jandai. "Why do we have to make it so difficult?" After pursuing "success" in Bangkok for several years, Jo dropped out of university to return to village life.

There, he went back to the life he knew as a child, working 2 months of the year to grow rice (with an additional 15 minutes a day to grow vegetables), dug a couple of fish ponds, built his own homes using earthen bricks, and gave up buying clothes (he has so many clothes from friends and visitors that he has to give them away).

Jon contends that to be happy, we cannot just rely on money; we have to reconnect with each other.

Check out this inspiring video to hear more about Jon's amazing story!




 

4507 Reads

Quitting The Single-use Plastic Habbit

I led a corporate group on a team building/ beach cleanup today. We talked about the state of the world's oceans, pollution and how much plastic people are using today.

To my surprise, I overheard them debriefing after our cleanup about the myriad ways they were going to commit to reducing their single-use plastic use in their office.

What a gift to overhear this company taking it on as their personal challenge to quit the plastic habit, one staff person at a time!!! I am grateful for the willingness people have to want to make the change.

The change to preserve our Earth and it's limited resources! Thank you!!!!

780 Reads

Souper Gratitude

Every fall my company hosts a "soup day" where staff can bring in a crock pot  of homemade soup to share. Those not bringing soup are encouraged to donate to the Food Bank.

I am grateful to my co-workers for their delicious and comforting pots of soup, and for donating $300 to the Food Bank today.

1305 Reads

Sufficiency

The simple pleasure of waking up to a home and shelter which offers me safety and security. Then knowing that I can have my morning coffee and sit down and enjoy it. Little pleasures. The joy of anticipating my sleepy son waking up and saying "Good Morning Mummy. I love you"...

1362 Reads

Day 1 - Sufficiency

"Sufficiency". What do you have enough of? Honestly, I have enough of everything. I have so much more than a lot of others do, and a lot more than I did as a child. 

It's hard to not be grateful of the always overflowing closet and sturdy roof over my head and a wonderful man to snuggle the crap out of me every night (even if it is annoying as hell sometimes), yet somehow I lack the ability to appreciate those very things.

I think at this point, the thing I lack the most truly is gratefulness. I have so much to be thankful for, but rather than focus on the abundance that I have, I find it easier to relish in the negative.

I'm hoping that through this challenge I can find a way to bring myself back to reality and start to build up more of that positive and grateful attitude that in the end is all i will truly need to keep me feeling satisfied and sustained.

1127 Reads
  • Posted by hoffman.nicole
  • Jan 2, 2015
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Abundance In My Life

Technically, I am homeless and have been for the past three years. When my partner of ten years asked me to move out in January of 2010, I did not make enough money at the job I had to support myself, ,and soon after I was laid off which severely decreased the income that I did have. If not for the generosity of friends and family, I would be in a homeless shelter or sleeping in my car. Instead, I have moved from one spare bedroom to the next. I have spent most of this time wallowing in what I do not have—I do not have a home, I do not have a job that supports me. And yet, I have not gone one single day in the past three years without a roof over my head; I have not missed one single meal. I have had to relinquish many possessions ... Read Full Story >>

884 Reads

When Wounded

As I reflect today on what I have enough of I am humbled and immensely grateful to recognize I have enough love and support to feel safe on my journey of healing and recovery. I lost my mum as an 8 year old and that has been a tremendous source of sadness and deep unexamined pain throughout my life. Now at 44 I have felt safe enough and brave enough to open up my wounds and see them as they are. This has encompassed facing the inner terror of a child whose world fell apart. I am grateful to have the love and support of friends who have stayed by my side through times that I have just rrelated. A therapist who for 9 years has patiently watched and waited whilst I built up a life steady enough to hold me. My lovely, kind and gentle father whose death provided the means for ... Read Full Story >>

866 Reads

Life (versus Survival)

I have everything I need to be able to live, and not just survive.

I am grateful for my family and other people I love, my job and the abundance of things it enables me to buy, the safe world I live in and so much more.

But most of all I am grateful to have learned to stop and observe myself and the world, because it enables me to grow every day towards more love, more of being myself and more living.

739 Reads
  • Posted by dirk.bomberen
  • Jan 2, 2015
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Living Is Enough!

I woke up this morning to an email asking me, "What do you have enough of?" I thought about it for awhile and felt, for the better part of the day, that I really wasn't sure how to answer it.

But it finally dawned at me this afternoon, and the realization brought tears to my eyes. I've struggled with severe depression for the past year (and for much of my life), and in the past month or so have finally found ways, through multiple avenues, to relieve it, and I am grateful for that because I have a life back, literally.

The sky is bluer, the leaves are prettier shades of orange and red, I enjoy being with people, I'm getting more in touch with spirituality. So what do I have enough of? EVERYTHING.

I am lacking nothing because it is this world, and these circumstances, that have allowed me to finally start recovering from what was the most debilitating experience of my life.

769 Reads

Grateful

I am grateful that my daughter arrived safely in California from Georgia to begin a new job here. She moved here to be near my husband and me to provide support as we both have cancer. I am grateful for her sacrifice and companionship.

1384 Reads

Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2014

"Kindness, I've discovered, is everything in life." - Isaac Singer Sometimes, all it takes is a small reminder to open our eyes to the beauty and wonder that surrounds us.  Lucky for us, we get those reminders every day!  For the last 365 days, we have been inspired by innumerable acts of kindness that have touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world.  The following stories are some of our favorites from this year.  Enjoy!  3,762 Miles Walked and 100 Tons of Trash On an unassuming weekday evening, Jane was at home… as usual. As her thoughts swung between what she was going to do with her life and their dinner plans for the evening, she was unexpectedly interrupted by an urgent call from her sister “get over here! Turn on NBC and check these guys out, they are just like you…” One facebook message and a phone interview later, ... Read Full Story >>

7828 Reads

Grateful For The Opportunity To Be Grateful.

I have been having a rough couple of weeks- just generally feeling discontent with life and everything in it. SO, on a whim I googled "happy news" and found out about this challenge.

And, I am grateful for the opportunity to remember to be grateful. It is a gift- THANK YOU!

I have enough food to keep me full, heat to keep me warm and family to keep me on my toes :)

763 Reads
  • Posted by cabencivenga
  • Jan 1, 2015
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In His Shoes

When I went into Dunkin Donuts this morning, I was grateful to be able to have the money for a cup of tea.

Sitting at a small table was a old gentleman who I have seen before. He looks as though he may not have much by the appearance of his clothes etc.

I went over to him and touched his hand and asked him if I could buy him a  cup of coffee and a donut. He was taken back a bit and then said yes thank you.

1175 Reads

I Am Grateful For Being!

Today I am grateful for being....for being part of this great world! I have so much love surrounding me and so many life lessons to learn. I am grateful for all the teachers that have been part of my life and all the teachers I haven't met yet. I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful for this great earth and the universe. I am grateful for being...

763 Reads

What Do I Have Enough Of?

What do I have enough of? I know it sounds odd, but I am happy, satisfied, blessed and grateful with all that is in my life. I have enough to share, enough to smile, enough to listen, enough energy to bring me through this day.

Oh, there is enough joy! There is joy in being alive and meeting the challenges of the day. I'm learning what the Lord has made it possible for me to learn today. I am so grateful.

Gratitude is like my "default" setting. I'm grateful for the sunshine out my window, the beauty of the green grass, the trees. All of life so lush, so deep in shadow and brilliant in light!

867 Reads
  • Posted by bienert.martha
  • Dec 31, 2014
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Well-being

As I look out my rain-spattered window through the multicolored fall leaves at the sun radiating through the layers of gray clouds, I feel so grateful for this beautiful, fragile earth that continues to try to support us humans.

I feel fortunate that I live in a country where the earth gives me sufficient air, water, shelter and food that I am able to be well mentally and physically and productive in my work.

I wish all people on earth were able to have this same feeling of the earth’s sufficiency. I am reminded daily that my gratitude for the Earth must express itself by “walking softly.”

I am filled daily and deeply by my friends, family and cats that love and value my presence in their lives as I love and value theirs in mine.

542 Reads

Soooooo Grateful!

I'm so grateful today because I went for an emergency colposcopy at the urgent request of my family doctor who saw something at my routine check-up.

I was so scared of having cancer but guess what? I have NOTHING! The specialist told me I'll live another 50 years! And I am sooooooo grateful for that...

568 Reads

Low Income Rich

I am a low-income senior, but I have enough food, water, medicines, human contact,enough access to grass and trees and views of the sky.

I have enough clothes, books, music, paper and pens. I have enough access to information via the internet. I have enough to amuse, entertain, inform, astonish, challenge, heal, and sustain my soul.

I have a lifetime of experience and wisdom hard won from life lessons. I have enough  memories and enough hopes and visions to keep me moving into the future.

Best of all, I have enough to keep giving away. I am rich, and for all this I am grateful.

2236 Reads

Rak Smile Cards

Today I gave a group of students smile cards and a free ice cream coupon. I also gave them 4 cards each to pass out to other students. I was excited to see how excited they got as they picked who to tag next. :)

699 Reads

If I Can't Donate Money. I Donate Love!

I wanted to share with you all a little something I do. I do this often, well as often as I can. I love to write. I love to make others feel happy, loved and special because lets face it; that is exactly what we all are. So what I do is put the two things together, writing and love. I often write letters of love to strangers and leave them in places hoping that the person who needs it most will stumble upon the letter and find it. However lately I've started to post letters to organizations and even random people whose addresses I stumble upon. I am often sent letters asking for donations and to help contribute to various charities and organizations. I contribute the best I can but as we all know, we can't contribute and donate to them all. Included in these letters of request for donations, are ... Read Full Story >>

6532 Reads




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