Quote of the day:
“There's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” — Scott Adams Think about it: Kindness is a good thing however, in our busy lives it is often easy to overlook the needs of others. Here is an exercise that may help you initiate a chain of kindness and thus a ripple effect that can touch many lives. --Picture yourself in the center of a set of concentric circles. You're in the center, but the focus isn't on you. Within the first circle are your family and closest friends. It's probably easy to identify the needs of at least two or three of these people. Write them down. --Now picture the next circle, your colleagues and acquaintances. Make a note of their names and needs. --Now picture the widest circle, people whom you don't know personally, but whose needs you are aware of, jot down the ones who come to mind and their need. --Take your list and try to do one favor for each circle each week. Each month do the exercise again and make a new list, repeating the process of helping one from each circle and experience the joy it brings into your life, not to mention the difference you are making in the world with the ripple effect you are causing.
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Quote of the day:
“You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments when you really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” — Henry Drummond Reflection: Someone sent me this story. I apologize as I don’t know where it is originally from but it reflects a wonderful lesson about gratitude and appreciation. When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!" Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. Learning to accept each other’s faults, and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences, is one of the most important keys to creating healthy, growing, and lasting relationships. Quote of the day:
“It’s a privilege to be a giver of kindness.” – Author Unknown Reflection: Everyone craves encouragement. If you feel like you have no time, no energy, no expertise, no money, or too little, to give, don’t worry; that’s common to many of us. But we can all give through our words of encouragement. In just a few minutes, we can make a difference at a bus stop, on the metro, crossing the street, at the shop, at work, at school, online, on a walk, and the list goes on. Our words don’t need to be profound or eloquent—just simple words that meet a person’s need for love, hope, significance, or comfort. A friend of mine told me the following story: On a flight I took some months ago, there was a little girl sitting in the catty-cornered seat from me. She had a beautiful new coloring book that her mother had obviously brought especially for the flight. Occupying the same row was another girl about the same age whose father was seated behind her. This girl had no coloring book, and in fact, didn’t seem to have anything to occupy her time. The girl with the coloring book was soon busily coloring with her crayons spread out on the tray table, while the other girl was looking longingly at them. I felt bad for the girl who had none, so I prayed that the first child would feel moved to tear out a page from her nice coloring book and share it. Sure enough, after a while I saw that she had indeed torn a page out and had given it to her seatmate and was sharing her crayons with her. I leaned forward across the aisle and told the girl that sharing her coloring book was such a nice thing to do. She brightened up and was obviously pleased that someone had noticed. I don’t know how far that little exchange will go, but I would like to think that the next time she has to make a choice whether to share something or not, she will be reminded of the woman who was proud of her because she made the right decision. Everyone appreciates knowing that they count, that they’re valuable, and that they’re doing something worthwhile. Our words of encouragement can make a difference in another’s life. At times we see the results of our encouragement. Likewise there are times when in this life, we will never see the results. But the important thing is that we are givers. Love never fails! So even if our words don’t result in someone getting the point right away, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that people feel loved, appreciated, and valued. Ask yourself this question: What can I say to people that will help them in some way? Something to lift their spirits, brighten their day, make them feel good about themselves, help them feel appreciated, valued, worthwhile, and that what they’re doing counts? A quote a day helps you remember what’s important.
Here are this week’s quotes on kindness.
Quote of the day:
"Kindness is in our power even if fondness is not.” – Samuel Johnson Reflection: A young couple had a baby who was physically perfect except for one thing. She was born with no ears. The parents of this young child were extremely worried about how difficult life would be for their offspring. They feared the ridicule that would surely occur when she was old enough to attend school. They wanted to introduce their daughter to other children before that dreaded day in order to see what the reaction would be. They asked a neighbor to bring her little girls to the house and let them look at the baby. Instead of showing up with her daughters, the neighbor showed up with her eight-year-old son who was known for his mean mouth. If someone had bad breath he wouldn't simply say it, he would fall to the floor and faint! With many reservations they introduced their daughter to the little boy and waited for a reply. He looked at her lying in the crib. Finally he asked, "Are her eyes good?" "Yes, why?" asked the concerned parents. "Because she's going to have a hard time wearing glasses.” Even the brattiest, most obnoxious person doesn't have to say something mean. Why notice everything that is wrong with people? Instead, try to see the positive side. If you look a little closer than first appearances you'll find it. Chances are they already know what's wrong. They have heard the ridicule and scorn already. Surprise them by saying something nice. Quote of the day:
“It takes so little to make people happy—just a touch, if we know how to give it, just a word fitly spoken, or a slight readjustment of some bolt or pin or bearing in the delicate machinery of a human soul.” — Frank Crane Reflection: Someone tells of going into a jeweler’s store to look at certain gems. Among other stones he was shown an opal. As it lay there, however, it appeared dull and altogether to lack luster. Then the jeweler took it in his hand and held it for some moments, and again showed it to his customer. Now it gleamed and flashed with all the glories of the rainbow. It needed the touch and warmth of a human hand to bring out its iridescence. There are human lives all around us that have hidden potential of beauty and glory. No gems or jewels are so precious; but as we see them in their earthly condition, they appear to be dull and lusterless, lacking brightness or loveliness. Perhaps they are even covered with stain and tarnished by discouragement. Yet they need only be touched by the hand of encouragement to bring out the radiance and beauty of the divine image in them. You and I can be the hand of encouragement to these drab or stained lives. Touching them with our warm love, the sleeping splendor that is in them will yet shine out again. Are there any people in your life that need to be touched by the hand of encouragement? Quote of the day:
"Have you a kindness shown? Pass it on. It was not given for thee alone. Pass it on. Let it travel through the years, let it wipe another’s tears, till in Heaven the deed appears. Pass it on.” –- Henry Burton Reflection: I just love the following story and even though it’s a bit longer than usual I think it will be worth your time reading and may even inspire you to do the same as it did me. I was in New York the other day and rode with a friend in a taxi. When we got out, my friend said to the driver, "Thank you for the ride. You did a superb job of driving." The taxi driver was stunned for a second. Then he said, "Are you a wise guy or something?" "No, my dear man, and I'm not putting you on. I admire the way you keep cool in heavy traffic." "Yeah," the driver said and drove off. "What was that all about?" I asked. "I am trying to bring love back to New York," he said. "I believe it's the only thing that can save the city." "How can one man save New York?" "It's not one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver's day. Suppose he has twenty fares. He's going to be nice to those twenty fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be kinder to their employees or shopkeepers or waiters or even their own families. Eventually the goodwill could spread to at least one thousand people. Now that isn't bad, is it?" "But you're depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill to others." "I'm not depending on it," my friend said. "I'm aware that the system isn't foolproof so I might deal with ten different people today. If out of ten I can make three happy, then eventually I can indirectly influence the attitudes of three thousand more." "It sounds good on paper," I admitted, "but I'm not sure it works in practice." "Nothing is lost if it doesn't. It didn't take any of my time to tell that man he was doing a good job. He neither received a larger tip nor a smaller tip. If it fell on deaf ears, so what? Tomorrow there will be another taxi driver I can try to make happy." "But you can't do this all alone!" I protested. "You're just one man." "The most important thing is not to get discouraged. Making people in the city become kind again is not an easy job, but if I can enlist other people in my campaign..." "You just winked at a very plain-looking woman," I said. "Yes, I know," he replied. "And if she's a schoolteacher, her class will be in for a fantastic day." Why not try some random acts of kindness yourself and make your part of the world a little kinder? Quote of the day:
“To the dolphin alone, nature has given that which the best philosophers seek friendship for no advantage.” — Plutarch Reflection: I love dolphins and find their stories so fascinating. There are many stories about the wisdom of dolphins, from how they have saved drowning people to their response toward the disabled who enter the aquarium water. I think the following account is particularly touching. There was a young woman with cancer who went to Florida to die. She had friends there who worked with dolphins and disabled children, and they had her join the dolphins in the water. The dolphins treated her so gently it seemed obvious they sensed her affliction. These same dolphins would swim over to a hemiplegic child and exercise the child’s paralyzed limbs. That young woman who swam with the dolphins called her therapist one night to say she was having trouble dying. He answered that it would be easy when she was ready. He told her he had never had a call from a dolphin with that problem. She died peacefully that evening. Dolphins, like dogs, have an uncanny ability to love unconditionally even unto death, their talent lies in their care, concern, love and friendship for no advantage. It would be to our benefit to learn a lesson from the dolphins. Quote of the day:
"People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” — Audrey Hepburn Consider: I once heard a story about a woman's husband who had returned from the war with post-traumatic stress syndrome. She was unable to deal with him or get him to care for himself and was ready to leave him. But first she sought the help of a healer. The healer told her she could make a potion to heal her husband, but it required the chest hair of a bear. The woman spent months befriending a bear at its cave. She brought it food and was able to get closer and closer until one day she was close enough to pull the hair and run for safety. She then brought the hair to the healer. The healer threw the hair into the fire. The woman screamed, "I risked my life for that hair. You were to make a potion to heal my husband." The healer smiled and said, "Now go home and be as patient with your husband as you were with the bear." The ability to wait patiently for something is a valuable character trait. It allows the other person time to know themselves and to heal. The only exception is when the other person's behavior threatens your well-being. Quote of the day:
“He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.” --Phillip James Bailey Reflection: I was impressed by this story of a man who just saw a need and did what he could. He definitely lives up to Mr. Bailey’s quote. On a cold, snowy day in Washington D.C., amid the debris of a tragic plane crash in the Potomac River, a real-life hero emerged from obscurity. Flying too low, Air Florida's Flight 90 had crashed into the 14th Street Bridge, catapulting plane, baggage and terrified passengers into the freezing water. A flight attendant was floating in the icy current doing everything she could to stay alive. Someone on shore threw her a rope, but she could not grab it. She went under and popped back up, waving her hands and screaming for help. For a second time she went under, this time for much longer. Wide-eyed, scrambling and gasping for breath, she finally came up for one more attempt to save her life. A shy, unassuming man named Vinnie Skutnick was standing on the bridge watching the tragedy. Believing that he could make a difference, he quickly removed his heavy overcoat, kicked off his boots and dove into the sub-freezing river. Swimming like an Olympian, Skutnick found the flight attendant, lifted her head and shoulders out of the water, and whispered, "You will live." As he pulled her from the river, Skutnick was asked why he risked his life to save the stranger. He replied, "I couldn't save everybody, but I knew I could make a difference to one person." Random acts of kindness do make a significant difference. |
AuthorThe goal of the blog is to provide interesting, motivational, soul feeding material. All to help remind us that God loves us all and wants a personal relationship with each of us and will take care of us in times of trouble. I aspire to be a force for good by providing you with positive input. I encourage you to share the blog with others. Archives
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