ONE KIND ACT.COM

Reflections on Kindness
From Gwen Randall-Young

Random acts of kindness are a wonderful way to reach across time and space to touch the life of another being. Publicizing and raising awareness of the significance of human kindness undoubtedly makes the world a better place. At every step along the path of expanding awareness there is the opportunity to go deeper; to explore more of the potential of our divine humanness. So it is with kindness. Acts of kindness are really not difficult. An intention is formed, and you carry it out. It makes you feel good. Holding kindness and compassion in our hearts, and integrating them into the complexity and stresses of daily life, every day — now there is a deep challenge!

Parents can learn to discipline kindly, remaining firm, yet doing so with love and warmth. Teachers can learn to remain patient and forgiving, no matter how frustrated they might feel with a particular student. Employees can choose to cooperate and remain positive about employers, rather than going into polarity. They can preserve their integrity, leaving the job if they must. Employers can honor the individuality and dignity of each staff member, placing the significance of the human over the material. Men and women can choose to focus on what is beautiful and special about the opposite sex, rather than battling for superiority. Children can learn to let everyone play, rather than setting up exclusive games. We can all begin to celebrate adolescence and help teens to feel proud of themselves, rather than raising our eyebrows in disgust. Teenagers can learn to be patient with and accepting of adults in spite of our limitations, instead of raising their eyebrows in disgust. Drivers can realize that there is enough road to share, and time to get there.

Allowing a spirit of kindness to permeate our collective lives would be a quantum leap, from an evolutionary standpoint. Eliminating meanness, pettiness, gossip, criticism, judgment, polarity, and blame would be a superb act of kindness. It is also a fundamental step along any spiritual path. Those negative qualities reflect a very dense, heavy energy, vested solidly in ego, and they block the light of the spirit. Random acts of kindness amidst the darker energies are certainly a positive start. We can do more. Much more. We can resolve to be kinder, gentler beings. All day, every day. We can treat those closest to us with the same respect and politeness that we reserve for friends and colleagues. We can refuse to litter the lives of others with negative energy. If we do this, we will be doing our part to create a world in which kindness is never a random act, but rather a way of life.

About the Author:
Gwen Randall-Young is a psychotherapist who bridges the worlds of psychology and spirituality, and the author of several books and audio tapes. grandall@telusplanet.net

It is in Giving that we Receive
by Nancy Armstrong

It is not about reading goodness that people do, it’s about doing goodness. It’s about making a change in your life, in your community, for a better world in which to live. I strongly suggest, or maybe the word is challenge, I challenge you to stop reading and start doing.One daily deed a day is all you have to do, you will feel so good about making a difference, you will want to do another and another. Don’t sit back and think it’s for the other guy to do. We change the world, one person, one kindness, one deed at a time. Be the change you want to see in the world.

It’s not only a matter of doing. What if everyone told someone they know about Project Linus, or started a get together with your friends once a month to make blankets for Project Linus, now you have a monthly social get together for a good cause.

Put a flyer in your church, or supermarket, with the idea, post your number, now you have a group of new friends!

Better yet, if you know of seniors, or contact a senior facility, tell them about the project. Ask them to knit or crochet 9 x 9 squares and you will pick them up, then have your group put the blankets together. Makes the seniors wake up everyday to a job they need to do, making them feel needed. Go back and take pictures with them when the blankets are made. They can post it in their monthly newsletter. I’m sure they’d be smiling for days over that.

Look in the phone book, and call your local assisted living, ask to speak to the activities director, and tell him/her about the Sunkist Lemonade stand. This would be a perfect project for seniors to do, they can raise funds for the local food bank, donate to the girls scouts, or to an animal shelter. It’s so important for seniors to feel needed and this is the perfect task. This is something they can make, and surely be able to sit and sell in front of their facility. This site is about change, and passing on ideas is helping to make a difference.

Take it from an ex-activities director, ideas are always welcome. This great idea was posted by Kindness Matters, as was Project Linus, way to go!!

You don’t have to necessarily do it, you can be a co-coordinator, let’s face it, not all of us have the energy to garden, but if we posted a flyer calling all high school students that need community hours. Become a Gardening Angel, earn your hours and make a difference. I’m sure if you contact any church, they will post that in their weekly bulletin, along with an ad on anyone physically not able to garden and is in need, please call (your telephone number) all you have to do is co-ordinate the two.

I have read such great ideas on this blog site.  I myself have started the Birthday Club (thanks Betty)

This article has been re-posted. It originates from Blog 4 Change.org. Blog4Change.org is a charity project that allows anyone who wants one a free blog. A simple platform is used so users can easily start blogging about all the positive things they have done in their life that have influenced positive change in others. Think of this site as a daily journal of positive action. Be sure to visit Blog4Change.org for more articles.

Ponder This:
Every kind act, no matter how small, is like a pebble tossed into the pond of human caring, the rings reach out far beyond the point of impact; the action of our kind deed acts more kindly toward the people around them, those people act more kindly toward the people around them, and so it goes, on and on.