Kindness Tools
indness Tools My travelling companion I already left one Birthday card and some quote cards for mailman/mail carrier. I am flying to Chicago on August 4. I always fly with my kindness tools - Quote cards and Birthday Cards and with positive mindset to talk to fellow passenger or someone in waiting area. I will make some more quote cards in a day or two. ey each tap a sense of wonder for life through the lens of positive thinking. Uplifting quotes are like an elixir. “People skills are the social lubricant of life.” —Vanessa Van Edwards “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” —Henry David Thoreau Start where you are.(In the airport or a plane) Use what you have. (Birthda
- Posted by Rajni
- Sep 6, 2025
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Kindness Journey! Sent Inspiring Email
contacts. At the airport and in the plane, I prayed to God for well being of some people in the wheelchair and prayed Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu May all the beings in all the worlds be happy during the day. I packed up my kindness tools to start my kindness journey. I am grateful to my brother-in-law for getting me an uber taxi to get me to the airport. I gave Birthday card and some quote cards to the driver. On her approval I told her intense positive thinking story about a lady whose unwavering positive thinking saved her husband's life. I told Fatema's story about how one quote card changed her life for the better. I talked about KindSpring and told some cracked some jokes. The thanked me with smiles. I give the things to
- Posted by Rajni
- Sep 6, 2025
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Kindness Journey To New York New Jersey
indness Journey to New York New Jersey - October 29 t0 November 10 At the Chicago airport and in the plane, I gave some quote cards and Birthday cards and received smiles with thank you. Attended once in a lifetime 100th Birth Anniversary Celebration of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Gave many quote cards, Met some Sai devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Flushing after few years. Got ride back home. I am grateful. Attended 24-hour Akhand Bhajan (Devotional singing) program, met some other Sai devotees. Conducted Greeting card making workshop with SSE students. Gave Birthday cards made with the help of Papaya care - a Senior living care facility staff and residents, Utthan trainees and staff and others. I am grateful for their help making them. SSE students help make some
- Posted by Rajni
- Jan 3, 2026
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Wonderful Kindness JourneyI
onderful Kindness Journey I am grateful to my son and his wife who gave me a ride to the airport. My son checked my luggage and got my boarding pass. He waited until the wheelchair assistant came. Gave birthday cards and quote cards to flight desk clerk. She was surprised to receive them and thanked me with a smile and a namaste. Namaste meaning from the internet: Respect & Reverence: A traditional way to honor elders, teachers, or deities. Greeting/Farewell: Used for saying "hello" or "goodbye.” Equality & Unity: Recognizes the shared divine essence in everyone, fostering oneness. Gratitude: Expresses thanks and appreciation. Mindfulness: Promotes presence and introspection, common in yoga and spiritual practices. The Gesture (Añjal
- Posted by Rajni
- Feb 1, 2026
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A Firefighter's Point Of View
But to me, it was what any "human being" should do or at least offer. I know we see these people everyday asking for money and I admit it gets a little tiring after awhile, especially knowing there's a bunch of fraudsters out there just hustling money for alcohol or drugs. You had to be there to see the look in his face. To me it reminded me when I was young and my mom brought out a big birthday cake for me on my birthday, with all the candy, chocolate and goodies that we were about to eat. He was like that kid again, getting to experience a feast. And I think he felt special, like he was getting attention. Again something that I could see he hadn't experienced in a long time. Well he ended up ordering enough to fill his stomach at least 3 times over! I often think
- Posted by Moran
- Apr 22, 2007
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Bystander No More
and then broken open. At that point I felt something snap in me. I pulled the van into an unloading zone and told my son to wait for a moment. I rushed over to her and the first thing she did was to apologize several times. I helped her gather everything up, took the extra bags firmly from her hands, and walked her to her car. She told me she was trying to hurry home to her son's thirteenth birthday party and her whole day had been "just one of those days". I helped her load the groceries, and she stopped and looked at me and just said, "Thank you so much". I smiled and said, "I am a mother of three and do you think no one has ever helped me out? I am just returning the favor." She smiled and said, "God bless you" and got in her car. I walked the row over to my van
- Posted by Michelle
- May 13, 2006
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An Unforgettable Birthday Gift
y daughter's birthday is May 29. She was 6 by then. As it was Monday, we prefered to celebrate it earlier, i.e. on Saturday 27 May. This was easier for me as I'm free on Saturdays. On Thursday the entire family was busy packing the presents and putting funny pins on them. I promised my litte princess that I would wake her up early in the morning and distribute the presents to her classmates. I woke up at 05:30. After I took a bath, I planned to wake her up ... but.... as I came out from the bathroom, I realized that an earthquake struck. I screamed to wake my husband up and asked him to carry my daughter; and ran out of our house. We were watching our house swaying from outside. It happened for just 3 minutes, but... the piano thumbled down, tiles came down, some cracks appeared
- Posted by Laksmi
- Jul 24, 2006
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Walk For G
n September 25th was our friend G.M.’s Birthday. To some she is an embodiment of compassion. To some she is a personification of beauty, grace and dignity. To some she is a pillar of virtue and strength. And to some she is a quiet pilgrim walking her journey with as much integrity and passion as is ever seen. But to most… she is nature’s precious gift to life. My friend H had just arrived that day at my house for dinner when we found out that it was G’s birthday. I am not sure why, but ever since I heard about it… I was feeling compelled to do something for G. However, I did not want to force anything… and was sure that if the intention is heartfelt then actions will flower naturally from that space. After dinner H and I came up with an ingenious idea to do
- Posted by anonymous
- Oct 5, 2006
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Birthdays Are For Giving
y birthday was coming up last week and I was thinking of ways I could pay forward some kindness on the day to send good wishes out in the world. And then on my birthday itself, right in front of my eyes, three different opportunities came up one after the other, to support my colleagues at the charity I work at in different ways. One girl decided she wanted to give back to the charity that gave her so much both as a child when she was growing up and also as an adult by employing her to deliver services to other children. So, she's going on a trek and raising money for our charity. She is now part of a really amazing program that works with the most at-risk young people in our area, many of whom have already been kicked out of 3 schools, carried a knife to s
- Posted by sonrisa
- Feb 19, 2007
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Birthday Celebrations
y birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. This year I have asked all my friends and family to send whatever they would normally spend on a gift, card and cake, to a charity that is close to my heart.
- Posted by silentdreamer
- Mar 30, 2007
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One, Two, Three...SMILE!
yes and moved to join his friends while I took a couple of pictures, their group all thanking me as I sat back down at my table, where my friends were like, "Wow, that was really nice of you." It's funny because I didn't really think that such a small gesture was anywhere out of the ordinary, but it seemed like my friends became aware of themselves. Not too long after that a birthday cake was brought out to that same table and my whole table sang with the waiters, waitresses, and guests at that table, cheering and clapping the birthday lady on as she blew out her candles. My table continued to cheer as I helped them take another picture. That night, even though we all came in as strangers, we left as friends. :)
- Posted by sleepytomato
- Apr 9, 2007
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John's Biggest Wish
as he played. One regular was this man named John. At first, he can appear cold and stand-offish, but today, we've become best friends! John has a voice that could easily be recorded on CD and sold. He's one of those unsung talents. And because he always wanted his mom to hear him sing, I tracked her down over the Internet and planned a surprise for John! On John's 34th birthday, we went to a nice restaurant for dinner. I went early to set up the table with Kermit the Frog tablecloth, plates, napkins, balloons and had a version of "Rainbow Connection" -- my favorite song -- playing when he arrived on a CD player with some small speakers. The staff was wonderful, as they really got into this little surprise. The other thing I did was
- Posted by philster
- Aug 28, 2007
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Staying Late To Clean Up
neighbor of mine celebrated his 50th birthday on Saturday. His family gave him a nice birthday party with wonderful music and food. They actually had a Pig Roast. 70 people were at his house to celebrate with him. The food was delicious and the Pig was a real treat. We all enjoyed his beautiful back yard. We played horseshoes, bocci, volleyball and listened to music. About 11pm everyone started leaving. I too was tired and ready to leave! Then I looked around at all the cups, plates and Soda/beer cans. Lots of food needed to be covered up and brought into the house. I said to my husband that I wouldn't be leaving yet and I was helping clean up the party area. He stayed to help to and we all got it cleaned up quickly. Then we were invited to sit down around a bo
- Posted by Aurelia
- Sep 27, 2007
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Remembering Birthdays
have this habit of remembering birthdays of all the people I know, whether they're my friends or foes. Birthdays are the days when we can make the other person feel that they are really special and making them happy is my motive. Last August 6, it was one of my friends birthday and I remembered and sent her an SMS text message and also spoke to her. She was stunned and surprised to hear my voice even though I hadn't spoken to her in four month or so. She was too happy and said that she dint expect my wishes.. and that I had made her feel really special. I know I didn't do anything big but that little phone call made all the difference. Birthday was hers but I was the one left feeling happy!
- Posted by jaya
- Nov 4, 2007
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A Gift For My Father
had to be satisfied with whatever I got. My father never paid heed to this at that time. Now, my father is an old man. He is still egoistic but recalls some of the incidents of the pasts (which I have forgotten) where wrong things were done to me and tries to be as nice to me as possible. Still, in the last 11 years of my marriage, I have never gifted him anything for his birthday or on any other occasion. So this coming birthday, I want to give him a good present. This change has occurred to me because of this website. Thank you all, for sharing.
- Posted by sahaja
- Nov 29, 2007
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Kindness Ideas For Kids?
y aunt just asked me for some kindness ideas, so I tossed together this list ... Free Car Wash: I saw this story for a 10th birthday and it seems like a grand time! Miles of Smiles: stand on busy street intersections with "smile" posters. Non-stop fun. :) Clean-up Public Places: help clean a beach or a local park, adopt a highway. Extra credit if you can take some of that waste and create a public art piece (see garden-art from trash). Balloon stand: hand out free balloons with smiley-art on the balloons and perhaps even on your faces. :) Plant trees: visit Arbor Day Foundation -- "We inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees" -- to find local organizations that can help you plant. Yo
- Posted by twiceblessed
- Dec 5, 2007
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Feeding Three Puppies
my balcony. The monsoon was full blown, the far off mountains showing their shades of green, the skyscape glowing in its majesty. It all looked like a celestial art gallery displaying unique colors in pastel shades, peppered by a rays of sun. In morning prayers, I asked, "God, this day, I feel to do a good turn." That day was my fifty third birthday and I wanted an opportunity to share my gratitude. My friends were after me to share the natures beauty with them, on this special day. And so I went with them, down a sloping trail, to descend in the company of beautifully flying crickets as I saw one settle on a rundown brick shack. Suddenly, at the gate, appeared 3 puppies, hardly 3 weeks old. They were ad
- Posted by sathsath
- Dec 7, 2007
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All In A Weekend's Work
used my own cloth shopping bags at Whole Foods vs having them supply plastic Made a donation at Petco for abused animals Brought an extra book to give to a friend and loaded up a bag of used books for our book exchange at work (I have magazines for the Dr.'s office next month) Waved, smiles and said hello to everyone I encountered Bought additional stamps to send out some birthday and thanksgiving cards this month Wrote and mailed out thank you cards for my birthday gifts (many people do not do this custom anymore but I want each person to know I am grateful-even a card warrants an email thank you) I sent a special sympathy card to a dear friend who lost her 15yr old cat this weekend enclosing the rainbow bridge poem (inspirational one
- Posted by brighteyes
- Mar 5, 2008
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30 Days; 30 Acts Of Kindness
am currently participating in a "30 acts of kindness in 30 days" challenge which I set for myself. Let me explain. A dear friend of mine recently celebrated her 30th birthday. Rather than doing what most women of her age would might do -- drinking, hiring a stripper, or even buying a fabulous new dress and having a swanky dinner out at an expensive restaurant -- she decided to host a "random acts of kindness" party, inviting her friends to participate in spreading some kindness in the world, and to spend money they'd have spent on a gift instead on gestures of kindness. At the restaurant, she had a drawing so that everyone received instructions for an act of kindness they had to carry out anonymously. She'd also prepared cards for all those present, wher
- Posted by katie
- Sep 25, 2014
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Holiday Cheer Bears!!!
Last year during a hospital stay over the Christmas holiday my daughter decided she wanted to do something in the coming year for the kids at the hospital. I forgot over the course of the year, but she remembered! We purchased 40 bears, made cards and tied them around the bears neck with a bow. We arrived on the 24th (which is also my birthday.) We went to each floor and asked the nurse on duty if there was anyone that needed some holiday cheer and each one gave us a few specific room numbers. We passed out bears to children, men, and women of all ages. We could have done it all day it was so joyful, but we ran out of bears!! We decided that we would make this part of our tradition every year. I cannot tell you how much joy I received by giving gifts away on my birth
- Posted by tstultz
- Jul 5, 2008
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A Birthday Brings Gifts For Needy
nbsp; I had a surprise 40th birthday party for my husband a few weeks ago and instead of everyone bringing my husband a gift that he did not need, I asked that everyone bring a food or paper product for our local food pantry. We had around 125 people that attended the surprise party. My husband was totally surprised. He was able to see people that he had not seen in a while. I had so many nice compliments on the party, but the special thing was that we were able to stock our local food pantry with $100 in cash and a whole truck full of food and supplies. If you are having a party, stop and think about doing the same thing. Others will benefit so much more than we would with a whole table full of gifts. "The world always looks brighter from behind a smile&q
- Posted by tressyanne
- Dec 10, 2008
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My Son, My Hero
ust after his first birthday my son Cameron was struck down with a rare blood illness. In the following years he has needed four courses of chemotherapy, multiple blood and platelet transfusions, harsh immunosuppressive treatments, suffered a thrombosis in his leg and over 800 hospital visits, including stays of up to 3 weeks at a time. All this has led to him now also being an insulin dependent diabetic. Cameron is now 9 years old and raised over £71,000 to support other sick children. He has equipped his beloved children's hospital with books, televisions, game consoles, arts and crafts items, toys and games. To the hospital school that taught him how to tell the time, he also gave laptops so the most poorly children could work in
- Posted by babdiane7
- Jan 17, 2009
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A Gift, 15 Years Later
wenty years ago my eldest daughter celebrated her thirteenth birthday. I worked hard at the deli the week before and got a paycheck of about $125. I went to the bank to cash my check and asked for one hundred one dollar bills, nice and clean and crispy if possible, please. I went home and grabbed a nice branch from a tree in my backyard and proceeded to use (almost) all of my paycheck to make my daughter a beautiful money tree with one hundred ones placed as carefully as I would have placed ornaments on the Christmas tree. It was a joy to behold! My daughter was thrilled. I wanted to take a picture of it, but all my money was gone and could not even afford a roll of film or a disposable camera. I asked the birthday girl, Jess, if she would buy
- Posted by lmil1954
- Feb 21, 2009
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30 Days Of Inspiration For My Aunt's Birthday
unconditionally. She always listens and gives great advice. She is a real inspriration to me. She makes me want to be a better person, and trust me she has done just that. She always helps others, always thinks of others first, she helps strangers, family, and friends. She raises money for charities, and is very charitable with her money. They have been very fortunate. So her birthday comes around, and I say to myself what do I get her? She has everything she needs. I have to do something special. So I handmade these little envelopes with decorative paper, 30 of them, and bought some stock paper which I cut into little cards. On each little card I put an inspirational quote and wrote things from the heart&
- Posted by loverules
- Jun 14, 2009
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Honoring Loved Ones By Feeding Orphans
y mother-in-law lives far away from her three children and usually doesn't get to spend their birthdays with them. There is always a card and a phone call, of course, but she does another amazing thing to celebrate her children---every year on their birthdays, she prepares a "birthday feast" for poor children in an orphanage near her home. Isn't that such a cool idea? Hope this idea might strike you when you are unable to be with a loved one for a holiday or birthday -- it makes you feel good by sharing the special day with those in need and know that you are honoring your loved one.
- Posted by cabbage
- Jul 19, 2009
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Virtue Is The Only Shelter We Have In This World
use my cell phone again. He calls his mother, and asks if she can put $20 into his bank account a few moments before we park. That's when I realized how I would test him. We find our parking spot, and I open my trunk to get his bag out. It was an unseasonably warm April afternoon, and I reach past his bag to my own to pull out a very nice sweater. "Many years ago on my birthday, my sister gave me this sweater. The label has her initials embroidered into it,", I say, showing him the label. "During my own journeys, my family has been an incredible support to me. I couldn't have done much without them, particularly my sister who has taken care of so many small things that might have been impossible from overseas." He nods and
- Posted by twocents
- Oct 19, 2009
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Grandchildren To The Rescue
hile I was away for a brief holiday recently, I had my purse stolen from my handbag. It contained birthday money from my grandchildren, a small amount of my own money, and my bank card. Since my bank card was stolen, I could not withdraw any money from the cash machine. Being so far from home, I was in a difficult situation. My family assured me that money was there if i needed it, that they would buy me anything I required. However, that idea did not go down too well with my grandaughters, as they felt that I should have some spending money. So they started a collection among themselves to replace the money I had lost, and convinced their parents to chip in as well. This was entirely the idea of the younger ones, who do not have much money
- Posted by lindsgran
- Nov 9, 2009
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My Mother: My Kindness Champion
book … all sorts of wonderful things have found themselves hiding under my pillow! The best part is that she’ll be hiding (agitatedly) outside the door to see what my reaction is when I find the hidden surprise. On the odd occasion that I haven’t found it and gone straight to sleep – she’ll be sure to come and poke me herself ;-) In the week approaching my birthday, this goes into overdrive! I find all sorts of wonderful gifts all over my bedroom for an entire week before my birthday. One of the things that my mum really enjoys is when she knows that all five of us are going to be home for dinner. (In our household this happens rarely because of everyone’s work and social commitments.) She will often cook up a wo
- Posted by Sydney
- May 9, 2010
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An Unexpected Blessing
traveled two hours in the rain to be with my high school friend for her 50th birthday. I had a wonderful time. I stopped for gas on the way home, and after paying, I was walking back to my car and something caught my eye on the ground near a mud puddle. I bent down and picked it up. It was a $10 bill – soaking wet, but nevertheless, it was money :). It may not sound like a lot, but it was a true gift for me. Money has been tight for a while, and I almost chose not to attend the birthday party. However, my desire to be with my friend overcame my inhibitions, and this spontaneous money paid for the gas required to travel back and forth. Unexpected blessings are always welcome! I followed my heart and it “paid”
- Posted by Aurelia
- Jun 26, 2010
- 8 Comments
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One Smile
By Cindy McKinley One breezy summer morning, Katie was walking through the park with her mother. “Hurry up sweetheart,” her mother urged, “Or we’ll be late for the bus.” “Oh Mommy.” Said the little girl, “I sure hope our van is fixed for Grandpa’s birthday party.” Just then they noticed a sad young man sitting alone on a bench. Katie stopped for a moment and smiled brightly at him. The young man had lost his job and was feeling very discouraged. Dozens of people had walked by that morning, but no one seemed to notice him. Then this little girl appeared and touched his heart with the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. He suddenly felt inspired to start looking for a new job. As he hurried down t
- Posted by Jacinda
- Jul 13, 2010
- 6 Comments
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