Search Results for 'popular' (3455 matches)

We all have the Power

I went out to breakfast this morning to meet a friend. Was lovely. But what wasn't so lovely was the lady who took our order.... Nothing major, only that I noticed a bit of a 'tude' about her. She spoke in a way that was frustrated, unhappy, certainly not friendly, and sort of rude. Working in hospitality myself, I noticed it. When it came to my turn to approach her and order I thought to myself ... "what can I do here to make her day, to appreciate her, to make her smile'. I had nothing. Surely there must be something I can sincerely compliment her on. Then there it was and I knew instantly. Or more so heard instantly. It was her voice. She had the most incredibly well spoken and clear voice. It was SO good. Like incredibly good. Professionally good. I had it. That was it. That was what I would compliment ... Read Full Story >>

Touched by kindness

My daughter and myself were driving from Los Angeles to Dallas. We were running low on gas somewhere in New Mexico and figured we'd see a gas station soon enough to fill up. But that didn't happen and we realized we were not going to make it to the next town. So my daughter made up a sign that read "Low on gas. Can u help?" and held it outside her window in the hopes that a driver in the next lane would notice it and stop. There weren't too many vehicles passing us either at the time. It was a desolate stretch of road and about 3.30 pm on a weekday. A suburban was driving along happily in the neighboring lane ahead of us. We caught up with it in the hopes the driver would notice the sign. An elderly gentleman was driving it and after a brief expression of confusion on ... Read Full Story >>

An Extra Special Restaurant Surprise

I recently had the chance to have a meal with some close friends who don't live in my city.  The choice of restaurant was a pretty fancy one known for triple digit bills.  We had a wonderful time together at the restaurant and approaching the end of the meal, I excused myself.  I silently headed towards the waiter and asked him to charge the meal to my credit card, but to also not tell anyone that I did it.  I signed for the meal and and quickly went back to my seat, no one the wiser for my trip. When it came time for the check, the waiter came by and told me and my fellow diners that the meal had already been paid for by an unknown person!  They couldn't believe it and demanded to know who did it, but the waiter assured them he didn't know :)  The response on ... Read Full Story >>

36 Acts of Kindness

A few days ago I celebrated my 36th birthday. I decided to do 36 anonymous acts of kindness that day. So I bought 36 flowers and put it on car's windows- with a note that says: "Someone you do not know chose to make you happy.

Please give this flower to someone you love. Happy weekend and safe drive". Actually I wanted to print smile cards, but because we are on holidays -the shops were closed.

So I handwritten 36 cards. I did it with my little daughter and it really made my birthday- a celebration ! - 


 

A Simple Rule Since I was 12

Since I was 12, I've had a simple rule -- remember birthdays!  So, if I know a person's name, I consider it my duty to remember the person's birthday (family, friend and otherwise). One characteristic EVERY human being has is the need to feel special, significant and appreciated, and what better way and time to make a friend, neighbor, client, co-worker, your child's teacher, or even the cashier at your neighborhood grocery store feel special than by simply remembering their birthday each year. Talk about putting an instant smile on that person's face, if only but once a year.  It brightens their day and it brings so much personal joy to me each time I do it.  And because I know so many people, I'm pretty much telling someone happy birthday every month of the year.  I'm now 30-something, so I guess you could call me the "Happy B-Day Diva"! And here's a ... Read Full Story >>

Moment In The Pharmacy

I was in the pharmacy and I had to pay for my meds - but I didn't have enough money!

You Are So Beautiful To Me

I was attending a Fundraiser Gala Celebration for a school. Now, I've recently lost weight and felt good about how I looked in my outfit ... which I hadn't felt in years!

Once I got to the event, many people where telling me how wonderful I looked.  To be honest, it felt great to hear that because I worked really hard to look and feel better.

Then, all of a sudden, I was thinking how I wished someone had given nice compliments last year when I was heavier. I did look nice then too, I had a nice outfit, pretty hair and carried myself nicely...

So I started looking around the room for people I knew that were maybe not what was considered "thin" and I went up to them and told them how nice they looked and that I loved their outfits ... they were true comments and came from my heart. 

Oh, you should have seen their faces light up because I took time to notice them and let them know they are just as pretty as anyone else there! I think it'll make us closer because they know I care.

We should all look for something nice to say to one another to lift one's spirits.

You Helped Me

I know this site is primarily for sharing stories of how we help others, however I have to take this time to say thank you. 

All of you and your stories have not only helped with my depression but it has given me more faith in others. I am in the process of changing careers to the non-for-profit sector, especially focused on children's homes in our local area. I never would have made this change had you not all shown me the world is still a place full of good people.

Hopefully I get this job and can begin to share your stories with the children who have lost their faith in humanity, the way I had before I found this site.  Wish me luck on the job and again from the bottom of my heart I thank those who started this website and all those that are members.

You have truly made an amazing difference in my life and my future. God bless you ALL!

A Warm Embrace And Presence

It was a usual day at the hospital. I was running around doing what I needed to get done for my patients. Then I stopped in my tracks because I could feel my cell phone vibrating in my pocket. I almost always keep my phone on. In the event of an emergency my family and friends can that way get in touch with me. It was an emergency. There was a death in my family. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I was excused early from work that day, but came home to an empty apartment and didn't know what to do next. I cried. I didn't know if I wanted to be alone or phone my close friend. I didn't know if I should have bothered my friend. Death is a sensitive subject for some people. Different people handle it in different ways.  What does one say? What does one do? After deliberating for a ... Read Full Story >>

Love and Inspiration from Japan

Below are the some of the heart warming anecdotes that I've witnessed and heard from others during the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan last year...  In the supermarket, where items of all the shelves fell, people were picking up things so neatly together, and then quietly standing in line to buy food. Instead of creating panic and buying as much as needed, they bought as little as they needed.  I was proud to be a Japanese.   When I was walking home, for 4 hours, there was a lady holding a sign that said, "Please use our toilet."  They were opening their house for people to go to the restroom. It was hard not to tear up, when I saw the warmth of people.   At Disneyland, they were giving out candies. High school girls were taking so many so I was thinking, "What???"  But then the next minute, they ran to the children ... Read Full Story >>

Growing Seeds in Silence

Sometimes you read a story that just takes root in your heart. Many stories on the helpothers.org website have been like that for me: "I Wish You Enough" by BrightEyes and "An Unforgettable Fishing Experience" by Mike Delyria to name just two. Well this story I'm about to share with you has been growing in the heart of many people on Cape Ann, where I live. It is the story of Jude, a young deaf man with green thumbs and a big heart who recently opened a plant store in our community called The Silent Seed. I first heard about him from my friend Nana who had noticed the new store during one of her walks and was so inspired by the owner that she felt called to draw the whole neighborhood's attention to his work. A few days later, my friend Loretta who lives in a totally different part of ... Read Full Story >>

An Unforgettable Fishing Experience

Several years ago, I worked for a trucking outfit as a driver. It was my habit to go in on Saturday and spend a couple hours maintaining my truck. As I was under the truck greasing it, I noticed the owner's elderly father making his way over to his grandson's truck next to mine.  The old man was in his high eighties, had been an avid fisherman all his life, and had come out to ask the kid to take him fishing after work. The grandson told him all about how much he would love to do that, but, he just couldn't that day due to prior commitments. The old man accepted the answer and hobbled off to the house. A few minutes later, the father came out and asked his son what the old man had wanted. After telling the story, the kid ended it with telling his dad, ... Read Full Story >>

Lost & Found: Two Rings

After working out one day, in the locker room, I came across a gorgeous wedding ring studded with many diamonds and a ruby ring.  I could tell they were very expensive, and by the color, the gold looked to be 24 carat. I looked around but there was no one in the gym or in the locker room.  So I took the rings to our work Lost & Found in the Security department upstairs.  After you fill out the tag, the items are kept for at least 30 days. I told the security guard that I did not want my name mentioned, as I wanted it to be a random act of kindness. I did not want the person to feel they needed to thank me or compensate me.  And I was pretty sure that the rings would be claimed! Over the course of the day, I forgot all about turning in the rings but ... Read Full Story >>

Accepting a Blessing and Passing It On

Last Sunday, a woman told me that she felt led to give me twenty dollars.  She wanted me to use the money for whatever I needed.  I tried not to take it, but she insisted and so I took it and thanked her.  I didn't need the money, but I knew there must be a reason for her giving it to me. The next day, Monday, I went to work.  A different woman was walking by the store I worked at.  She was limping, and didn't look to be very well.  I knew her and called out, asking her how she was doing. She responded with her sad situation.  Her husband had died recently, she had to quit her job because of her health, and on top of that, she wasn't drawing her disability benefits as yet.  I told her the story about the $20, and asked her if she would ... Read Full Story >>

Serving Up Smiles at Baskin Robbins

I'm just a senior in high school who works for minimum wage at a local Baskin Robbins. In and outside of work, I always wear a smile and try to influence my amiable attitude towards others. But lately, I've been inspired by the stories here to reach out in kindness in other ways beyond just acting friendly.  So, today, when I went to work, I decided I would take my first big step and truly help a complete stranger. Two young girls came into the store and looked around. I offered them my usual "Welcome to Baskin Robbins!" greeting.  It was a couple of minutes later when one of them finally decided upon a flavor, chocolate chip. So then, I made a big scoop and put it upon a cone and handed it to her. Interestingly, though, the other girl didn't get anything even though I could tell she was eyeballing the variety of creams.  So, I ... Read Full Story >>

A Secret Handshake Puts It Right

Yesterday was my step-mom’s birthday. I haven’t been home in a long time so I wanted to stop by the house to see her on this special day.    I have been struggling financially so I was dreading the long trip. Gas is so expensive nowadays! Anyway, I filled my tank with gas and set off.    I stopped at the shopping mall and found a present. It was the perfect gift and I knew she would love it. But when I got to the cashier my card was declined! I did not have enough money in my account to pay for the gift!    So I pondered the issue for a few minutes. I could put it back and get something cheaper, but I knew there was nothing else in the store she would have liked as much. So, I got on my smart-phone and transferred some money from my savings account so I was ... Read Full Story >>

A Big Act of Kindness On Our First Day In India

On my first visit to India with my partner, Barry, we met a really nice woman on the plane who was flying from Canada to India to move back with her family in Chennai. Talking with Uma, a dentist, who had been trained in England, made the long flight from the US go by much faster. When we arrived in Chennai, we learned that our bags had somehow not made the trip with our plane. As we filled out the missing luggage forms, we couldn't help noticing the mountain of unclaimed baggage in a corner of the terminal. Would we ever see our belongings again? This was not an auspicious beginning to our 6-week trip. It was now 4 a.m. Saturday morning. The officials had told us there was no point in checking to see if our bags had arrived until Monday. What should we do next? As we stood there wondering, ... Read Full Story >>

One of a Thousand Stories to Tell

Hello, my name is David G. Nadeau and I am from Monroe, Michigan, hometown of General Armstrong Custer. I am a paid-on-call Firefighter for Monroe Township Fire Department and I was at Ground Zero for one week starting September 12, 2001. Some of my hundred or so pictures from Ground Zero have been published in EMS magazines. Newspaper reporters from Cooperstown, New York and Lexington, Kentucky call me wanting to publish this story. That is because someone from the family of the business card I found at Ground Zero told the reporters this story – a story about a business card which is just one of a thousand stories to tell. I arrived at Ground Zero on September 12, 2001 with another Firefighter. After several hours of working at the front of a bucket brigade on Friday, September 14 – just one of many bucket brigades -- there came an opening ... Read Full Story >>

Using Kindness to Hush the Noise Downstairs

  Several years ago my young daughter and I moved into the upstairs apartment where we now live. While my loving, wonderful friends helped me move in, the downstairs neighbors began to complain about the noise. That did not bode well for living above them. After all, how can anyone move in  quietly?   As I suspected, the complaints continued on a daily basis -- well after that initial day. We walked "too loudly" down the stairs, we flushed the toilet too much ... Their child had problems with my child and they complained to me as well.   I soon learned that they had driven out the last few families who had lived above them and that each situation had erupted into feuds and yelling. So, I had the information I needed and I tried to think of the situation from a spiritual point of view. I realized that I could fight with my ... Read Full Story >>

All It Takes Is One

One song can spark a moment,

One flower can wake the dream.

One tree can start a forest,

One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,

One handclasp lifts a soul.

One star can guide a ship at sea,

One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,

One sunbeam lights a room

One candle wipes out darkness,

One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.

One word must start each prayer.

One hope will raise our spirits,

One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,

One heart can know what’s true,

One life can make a difference,

You see, it’s up to you!