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Lady Gaga's Born This Way foundation needs all the help it can get to beat bullying and promote kindness Sometimes the greatest gift you can give is to allow people (or animals) you care for to find their own way. Sometimes I just have to post a link because I can't express the kindness story any better than it already has been. The 9 sisters story is one of those. You'll love it!
Click here How hard is it to say; please, thank you or excuse me? It's not! It's just that we get so caught up with the stuff of life that we sometimes forget how important it is to be polite.
Do you open doors for people? Do you allow people in the grocery store with one item to go ahead of you? Do you give your seat to someone who needs it on a bus or let someone take the first cab? Imagine what a different world we would be living in if we all practised a little more politeness & courtesy. If you want to have a different world.....BE THE EXAMPLE! It's the kind thing to do. So, do it! You'll make someone feel special...in fact you'll feel better about yourself as well. Don't you just love it when people smile at you? Everybody does because it's like a little hug. A smile says: YOU MATTER!
You can give your smile away a million times and still have it to give again tomorrow. So, why not give out more smiles? Often people pass each other and look right into each others eyes but make no effort to acknowledge each other. Why? Because they expect the other person to smile, wave or speak first. Who made up that "Rule?" I say: "GO FIRST!" Be the the one who initiates the first smile. The results will be astounding! just watch! How many acts of kindness will you perform TODAY?
Here are a few ideas: 1 - Pay the toll for the driver behind you. 2 - Offer to pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor, especially in extreme weather 3 - Put a coin in an expired meter 4 - Help a mother carry her baby stroller up the subway stairs, or hold a door open for her 5 - Surprise someone with a cup of coffee 6 - Let a fellow driver merge into your lane 7 - Return your shopping cart to the cart station 8 - Forgive someone a debt–and never bring it up again 9 - Throw away your trash—and someone else's—after a movie, picnic or visit to a park 10 - Share your smile with everyone you meet today! Recently in the parking lot of a big box store I overheard this conversation:
Person A -What are you doing? Person B - I'm returning the cart? Person A - Just leave it? Person B - But someone could run into it or it could roll into car. Person A - That's not your job. People get paid for that. Person B complied and left the cart in the middle of a parking space. As I returned the cart to a nearby parking station I couldn't stop thinking about how the considerate person's positive attitude had been trampled on. I kept wondering if she would continue trying to follow her kind nature in the future or if she had been permanently scared by this experience. As I walked into the store I thought, if I had the chance what might I say to her to make sure this one negative experience didn't stifle her kindness in the future. It took a little while but I finally came up with what I think is the perfect answer for those who try to dampen one's kindness. When someone tells you not to be nice, kind, polite or considerate, just say this: "I'll make you a deal. If you don't tell me not to be kind and helpful, I promise not to get on your case for being selfish and inconsiderate". So, come on friends, Let your freak flag fly and be as nice, kind and considerate as you want to be. Let's put some real kick into kindness! Back in November of 2001 Eddie Canales' life changed forever....in more ways than one! Read about how Eddie's tragedy lead him to a life of service to his fellow man. http://www.dailygood.org/more.php?n=4977 . AngelsAmongUsTV from Valerie Wildman on Vimeo. A long long time ago....when I was a wee boy only nine years old, my dad took me to a new school in a new town. When we went in he asked if I could find my way home from there. Having moved several times as a boy, I was pretty good with directions so I assured him I could find my way home.
When we were let out of school, it was from a different door and I got disoriented. I walked for a while on the right street but in the wrong direction. When I realized what I had done, I knew I needed help. I looked around and spotted a taxi stand. I figured I could get directions there. When I asked one of the drivers for directions, he told me it was too far to walk and it would be dark by the time I got there (I was on the later shift at school) so he'd give me a ride. I tried to refuse but he insisted. So, I told him I was sure my parents would pay him. He told me not to worry about it. When we got to my apartment building I asked him to come in and get paid but he refused again. I learned something about kindness that day. Many years later I too drove a taxi in another small town and got several opportunities to "repay" the favour. I'll never forget one episode when I was driving back to the taxi stand late at night and saw a lady standing beside her car near the high school. I knew she was in trouble so I turned around and asked if I could help. I'm pretty good with cars so I tried to get hers going but it was an old clonker and in pretty bad shape. It just wouldn't start. She told me it was OK and she'd figure something out. Of course, I couldn't just leave her there so I asked her where she was going. Turns out she was the sister-in-law of a local TV announcer that I often drove home and going to his place. He didn't live very far from there so I came up with a plan. I looked at both cars bumpers and knew I could push her car a little way so it would not longer be in a driving lane. I told her to get in and be prepared to move as soon as the traffic light turned green but to just go past the very first driveway past the light and park in front of that first house. She did exactly as I instructed. She then reluctantly got in my car, all the while telling me she had no money for the ride. I told her to forget about and told her to let her brother-in-law know that her car was in front of Mr. Brown's house ( I knew that they knew each other) so he could call and let him know they'd be picking it up in the morning. Otherwise the car might have been towed away. When we got to her destination, she insisted on getting my name so she could repay me. I scribbled my name roughly on a scrap of paper knowing full well she'd never decipher it. I slept very peacefully that night. Spring is just around the corner. Why not organize a group of friends to clean up local parks or riverbanks. All it takes is some gloves and garbage bags to do the job. But, don't forget the water and snacks for your crew.
Cleaning up our environment benefits us all. People young and old can benefit from clean-up kindness. Buy two chocolate bars or any other treats. Give both to a stranger along with a K-card. Tell them they must give one of the treats away along with the K-card.
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