Stories of Kindness from Around the World

The Promise Proclamation

While we often tell others we love, such as our family, friends, and relatives, those comforting thoughts to warm up their hearts inside, we forget that this gift of friendship and affection we give to others is something we can give ourselves too. Remind yourself that as you help others, you are also allowed to help yourself along the way. Here's a gift to give yourself as you get started. Make the following promise proclamations to yourself today: 1. I will become friends with myself and realize that it is a  worthwile friendship just as are the friendsips I have with others.   2. I will look for sunshine in everything, so optimism becomes my reality not an elusive dream. 3.I will create thoughts of the best in mind, give my best to meet my goals, and expect only the best results, so that the best is manifested in my life.  4. I will understand ... Read Full Story >>

In Flight From San Francisco

Airports, even familiar airport, are very difficult to negotiate alone, when you have lost a good deal of your eyesight, as I have.  Boarding a recent flight out of San Francisco, I sank into my seat with relief and belted myself in.  I was seated at the bulk head on the aisle.  The window seat was occupied by an elegant older man.  There was an empty seat between us.  Looking to escape the tension of the past half hour, I put my purse on it and took out a murder mystery and began to read.  When lunch was served an hour later, I was deeply engrossed, the book inches from my nose.  We were given a salad, a bagel, and a pint container of yogurt.  Times have changed. Continuing to read, I tucked into my plate until my seatmate gasped in dismay.  Turning my head slightly, I saw that he had ... Read Full Story >>

So You Want to Win?

If you want to be a winner, then start with being a winner in life. Let's begin with some intense life cross-training. The first life exercise prescribes us to develop our muscles of life by completing the following list called the   "21 More Than" Challenge: 1. You have to listen more than you talk. 2. You have to give more than you get. 3. You have to smile more than you frown. 4. You have to think "we" more than you think "me." 5. You have to agree more than you disagree. 6. You have to compliment more than you criticize. 7. You have to laugh more than you cry. 8. You have to clean up more than you mess up. 9. You have to be positive more than you're negative. 10.You have to be fascinated more than you're frustrated. 11 You have to "walk the talk" more than you "talk the talk." 12. You have to be accepting more than rejecting. 13. ... Read Full Story >>

Random Act of Consciousness

Just before Christmas of 2007, almost exactly a year ago, I steered into a Starbucks drive-thru line for a cup of tea on my way to teach a morning tai chi lesson. There were a few cars in line, and I got in behind them. When my turn came I gave my order at the billboard menu and moved up as far as I could while waiting patiently for the cars in front of me to get through the cashier line. While the South Florida weather would probably would have felt tropical to much of the rest of the country, I was a bit chilled and was looking forward to my hot drink. The fellow in the SUV behind me reached the menu. Dissatisfied with the alignment between his mouth and the microphone, he laid on his horn, leaned out his window, yelled an insult and exhorted me to move up. ... Read Full Story >>

Appreciating a Neighbor's Garden

I have discovered the joy of speaking to strangers and now that I have crossed the age of 50 there is less danger of being misunderstood. The best thing about it is seeing the surprise and happiness of others when they are addressed or are included in the sharing a thought. Invariably, one kind gesture is returned with more kindness.

During my morning walk one day, I noticed a bush in front of a house that had half-opened buds of my favorite flowers that reminded me of my childhood. I went close to the bush for a better look and noticed the house lady looking at me curiously. I smiled and told her that I loved the flowers for their fragrance. She reciprocated. “I plucked them all for my morning prayers. You can have some,” she offered. I was touched by her generosity and blessed her in my heart for making  my day. 

From I to You

I am free, like an angel

that opens her wings

I take on many forms

I laugh and listen

I am never far away

I am never gone at all

I am a friend, a good book

or a pink and golden sunset

I am a Mother's touch

And  a Father's helping hand

You know Me,

Because I am You

You are Me through and through

I am unconditional love

And You are too!

21 Ways To Celebrate Life

After Nancy Rothstein's son, Josh, passed away unexpectedly, she was seeking a way to offer a tribute for family and friends to honor his birthday. With each passing birthday, she adds one more item to the list. Last April 16 would've been Josh's 21st birthday, and true to her tradition, Nancy shared these 21 ways to celebrate life: Smile. Smiling makes you and those around you feel good. If you don’t feel good, a smile can trick your brain into feeling better.   Eat ice cream.   Run on the beach. If you can’t physically do this, use your imagination.   Call someone who is ill or lonely. Listen to their story. Take the time. Tell them your story, if they ask.   Listen to music that touches your heart and soul.   Sing in the shower, or out loud if you are comfortable.   Visit the grave of a loved one and celebrate your continued BREATH. And tell your loved one what’s on ... Read Full Story >>

A Tin of Cookies for the Eco-Bus Driver

Somebody on this site suggested giving anonymous cookies to the people who clear away our waste, and I found that a good idea. So this morning I baked my favourite Chocolate-chip-and-peanut cookies, filled a tin, wrote a Thank you card and had everything ready.

On Wednesdays, the so-called eco-bus stops in our street for 15 minutes so that people can bring their separated recyclable waste (cardboard, aluminium, tins, glass, plastic bottles and other plastics, batteries, styrofoam), and the two or three people working inside this bus are always so helpful, taking your bags to empty them into the appropriate containers.

So today I waited until there were some other people on the bus and the workers would not pay attention to me, I got on through the front door and simply put my tin of cookies with the card sellotaped on top of it on the little ledge by the windscreen, and went on to put my waste into the containers. I was so proud that nobody had noticed. I'd love to have seen the face of the driver when he sat down to drive on and found the tin.

A California Town Turns Strangers Into Friends

California town decides to put kindness on the agenda By Susan Herendeen Wednesday, April 22, 2009 WATERFORD, Calif. — This little town in eastern Stanislaus County may be known for the orchards and dairies that dot its rolling hills, but this week city officials are reminding the 8,100 residents to pass on some good cheer by doing something thoughtful for a stranger, mentoring a youngster or simply being a good neighbor. Thanks to a push from the Waterford Ministerial Association, the city has declared "Random Acts of Kindness" week, which began Sunday and ends Saturday, at the close of a community clean-up day. City leaders may not find a cure for the ills of modern life, like road rage or bullying or the angry remarks that can demoralize a community. But they hope to remind people that kindness can turn strangers into friends. "It's a goodwill kind of thing, to draw attention to the fact ... Read Full Story >>

A Child Forgoes Firecrackers to Help Other Children

     Hi friends. I would like to share an incident with you.     Just as Christmas is celebrated by Christians, "Diwali" is celebrated by Hindus. On that day people wear new dresses, eat sweets, and set off firecrackers.      A little girl of 10 in my neighborhood is a good friend. Every year she  celebrates Diwali in a grand manner,  buying at least two boxes of firecrackers and two new dresses in order to have a grand feast on that day.     But last year I was amazed to see her. She was in a simple dress playing with her younger brother without setting off any firecrackers. I asked her the reason. She said she had seen a documentary film on the making of crackers in her school which explained the process of making them, the child labor involved in the industry, their sufferings, their lack of education, and the pollution created ... Read Full Story >>

The Gift of a Special Dinner Together

My wife and I went out to dinner this weekend since we have had crazy schedules and have not had much time to just sit and relax. We went to a nice restaurant and were having a good time. We saw a very young high school age couple who looked like they were on one of their first dates. We smiled and talked about how scary that is when you are young. My wife noticed that the couple only ordered a chicken breast and water, which was a little unusual for this steakhouse. We guessed the young man wanted to take his date to a nice place but might have had some sticker shock once he saw the menu so they ordered what they could and skipped the side dishes. We had a gift card we were going to use for our dinner, but decided they could use it more. When our ... Read Full Story >>

A Child's Response to Life's Unexpected Gusts

Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a Mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding onto a string that was attached to a helium balloon. All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying. But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!" I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something. Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with, "Oh no, what should we do?"  But, remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that’s interesting! How can I help you?" One thing’s for sure - life’s always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That’s a ... Read Full Story >>

A Lesson in Generosity from a Woman in Tatters

I live in an Indian city and at every traffic signal there are women and children who beg.  Once, while I was driving by, I noticed a woman in tatters.  So, the next day I brought along two used garments we call 'saris' which are five-metre pieces of cloth that we wrap around ourselves. She was happy and so was I.

Some days later when I stopped again at the traffic signal, I saw the same woman. When she saw me, she called out to another woman and said, "Say thank you to this lady, say thanks..she's the one who gave us the saris."  This woman, who had no clothes worth wearing, had shared with another equally deprived woman one of the two saris I had given to her!

It is a lesson in generosity I will never forget. How often  do we share although we have so much? Yet this woman with almost nothing didn't think twice about giving away half of her gifts!!

Would You Help A Little Lost Robot?

In New York, we are very occupied with getting from one place to another.  On the way, imagine you encounter a tiny, cardboard skinned robot making its own way down the streets of New York City, asking for help.  Would you help this lost little robot?  Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal. Given their extreme vulnerability and the possibility that no one would be interested in helping a lost little robot, I initially conceived the Tweenbots as disposable creatures which were more likely to struggle and die in the city than to reach their destination. I set out on the first test with a video ... Read Full Story >>

Setting a Good Example

We all either set examples or follow examples. Often both. Recently, I was walking away from a primary school, having delivered my Godson safely to the playground. A mum and her young son were walking towards the gate in happy conversation. "I'll soon be six, won't I, Mum?" the boy said. His proud mum agreed that, yes, he would. "And then I'll be allowed to say bad words. Won't I, Mum?" Imagine the mother's face! It wasn't so much what the boy said, that caught my attention, it was the complete confidence with which he said it. Someone he trusted had obviously told this little lad that once you get to be six years old you could say bad words and it would be okay. So okay he could happily tell his mum about it. Supposing that same person had told him that six was the age when you started helping those younger than you, or six ... Read Full Story >>

A Surge of Compassion For An Old Lady on the Streets

One afternoon, as I was driving back home, I stopped  at a busy intersection as the traffic light turning red.  I waited patiently for the light to turn green, so that I could resume my journey. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an old woman appeared and started asking for money. That day , I had unknowingly switched off the   air conditioning in the car and my window was down. The old woman was standing very close to the car.  As she begged for alms, I closely observed her weather-beaten face, which had lots of wrinkles on it.  Her eyes showed lots of sadness and her whole body was shaking.  I instinctively sensed that this elderly lady had  seen some incredibly hard times in her life and at this time there was no one to look after her, which forced her to beg on the streets.  Seeing her condition, I immediately felt from within my being a tremendous surge of compassion for ... Read Full Story >>

The Universal Language of Hugs

HUGS
(Author Unknown)

There's something in a simple hug
That always warms the heart;
It welcomes us back home
And makes it easier to part.

A hug's a way to share the joy
And sad times we go through,
Or just a way for friends to say
They like you 'cause you're you.

Hugs are meant for anyone
For whom we really care,
From your grandma to your neighbor,
Or a cuddly teddy bear.

A hug is an amazing thing-
It's just the perfect way
To show the love we're feeling
But can't find the words to say.

It's funny how a little hug
Makes everyone feel good;
In every place and language,
It's always understood.

And hugs don't need new equipment,
Special batteries or special parts -
Just open up your arms
And open up your hearts!

I Love YOU More!

I wanted to share a thought on a game my wife, Denise and I play with each other. It’s called “I love YOU more!” I make it a part of my day to tell her that I Love Her. And she does the same thing with me. She’s pretty loveable and so it’s always been easy all these years to say it and to mean it. And maybe that’s one of the reasons that we’ve been married so long, (33 years). What I’ve realized though, is that there are days that “I love Her more” than she loves me and visa versa. Because of this we have a relationship where the power of that love is constantly shifting. In a funny sort of way, I’ve found that the person who loves the least that day, is the one with the most power in the relationship as they actually need more love ... Read Full Story >>

Flowers for a Stranger in the Hospital

     On my birthday this year, I decided to do something very different.  I decided to do something for someone.  I have been blessed with so much and I wanted to reach out and be a blessing to someone.  So, that afternoon, I went to my local grocery store, bought a bouquet of flowers and went down the street to the new hospital.  I had no idea who I was going to present the flowers to, but I would find someone who needed to be cheered up.    I went up to the 4th floor, asked the nurses at the station, who thought it odd that I didn't have anyone in particular that I was there to see.  Still, they gave me the room number of an elderly lady who they said,  "could use some cheering up."    I proceeded to the room and when I entered with the bouquet of flowers ... Read Full Story >>

Learning From A Cabbie

A couple weeks ago I was standing out on a cold evening in New York City waiting for a cab to come take me to a nightclub.  After about 5 minutes of waiting, I was picked up by a middle-eastern gentleman in his 30's, and he was clearly angry.  Swear words left and right about how horrible New Yorkers were.  I knew my cab ride would only be about 10 minutes and there was a part of me that wanted to be silent and just move on with my life, but I also wanted to try and connect. I asked the man what the issue was, and after some beating around the bush, he told me that he had just come from JFK airport without a customer.  For those that don't know, this is basically $70 in lost fare, which is a fairly big deal.  I tried my best to commisserate ... Read Full Story >>