Human Beings are all Kinds of Awesome-Sauce (Part-2)

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"kindness counts", "live happy", "Monday morning", "random acts of kindness", "The Kindness Blog", kindness

Having a rough Monday so far? Well, I’m about to change all of that. This is from a blog that I follow… “The Kindness Blog”. I guarantee a change in your day once you read through all of these. Promise. I was going to try and list my favorites; but it was just too hard. Do be sure to read the one the one of the gentleman in a dark blue jacket holding a Starbucks coffee. Then get out there and “Do some kindness”… xo
Kindness counts. live happy…

Kindness Blog

This is a follow-up to Human Beings are all Kinds of Awesome-Sauce part one! Enjoy 🙂

A little girl fell from the fourth story of a building, and these men caught her.

A runner collapsed near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, and four other runners picked him up and carried him over the finish line.

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kindness (really) counts

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"acts of kindness", "kindness really counts", "Make a difference", "random acts of kindness", "Trader Joe's", kindness

So I took yesterday’s post to heart.  Yes. I’m talking about MY post from yesterday. About being kind; about making a difference.  This is a really big deal to me.  It has been for a long, long time.  I feel that, as individuals, we sometimes feel that we are just a tiny little speck in a great big world.  After all; what could WE possibly do that could REALLY make a difference?  That’s the part that gets me.  OK. As much as I would like to, I am, more than likely, NOT going to discover a cure for cancer.  I am NOT going to eliminate world hunger or childhood obesity.  But if I CAN do something small, that will make someone smile – even just for a moment – YAY! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!!

So after I posted yesterday (“love; not hate”) I got dinner started and had to make a run to Trader Joes. (LOVE Trader Joes.  But that’s SO another post…)  I gathered my goodies, and as I was waiting in line, I saw the little $1.00 bags of (dark… YUM!) chocolate covered almonds. “I need to pick up a bag of those to stick in the mailbox for Bob (our mailman).”

As I dropped them in my basket, the thought crossed my mind. I need to perform five acts of kindness today. Sounds good! The next thought to pop into my brain was, but it’s already 5:00! Alrighty.  Already crossed off #1!!  After loading the groceries into my car, I started walking back towards Trader Joes to return my cart.  I saw a gal getting ready to walk her cart back up to the entrance, and recognized her as the mom in front of me with four little kids. I zigzagged over and offered to return her cart up to the front.  So appreciative for such a small gesture.(#2)  

As I returned to my car, another thought popped. I looked in my wallet.  One dollar. So I attached a little note and took it back into the store where they have the little shopping carts for the kiddos! Left it in the perfect spot for the next little nugget to come along!  That was SO fun! (#3)

As I pulled in to the driveway (after dropping off Bob’s chocolate covered almonds in the mailbox!), I was thinking about the dogs going out to potty (normally in the front yard).  We have a mama and baby bird (nest on front porch) at our front door, and the little baby is learning to fly. I was just so worried about scaring mama and baby!!  But… I couldn’t take them in the backyard either because we have baby bunnies and baby ducks (under the deck?).  So I took the dogs for a walk. Oh my – SO happy! (#4) And all the little birdies, bunnies and ducklings were quite appreciative as well! (#5)

On my drive home earlier, I realized that my acts of kindness had started early in the day without even thinking… My hubbie had been craving a pot roast; and he loves his brussel sprouts… so guess what we had for dinner!?! (#6) As we were discussing “acts of kindness” at dinner, my daughter was sweet enough to remind me that I had made her a special breakfast that morning (she had a huge presentation at work!) on our “special family plate” and I had also packed her a lunch when she was running late! (#7 and #8).  So, all in all, not a bad day on the ole “kindness meter“. At the end of the day, striving for five is actually quite attainable!!

As for today, you ask??  Well… I packed a magazine in my husband’s suitcase before he left out of town as a little surprise.(#1) “Talked out” some things with a friend who needed someone to listen.(#2)  Let a gal go in front of me in the checkout line at Target.(#3) Purchased some little treats for a little “cheer me up goodie bag” to give a friend who is going through some hard times.(#4) Finally – I also did a little something special but can’t actually say… That person will probably be reading this and it would ruin my little surprise!! (#5) So check, check, check, check, check…

How about you???

 

 

 

love; not hate

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"Dr. Martin Luther King, "kindness matters", "random acts of kindness", "world peace", Kansas City, kindness, love, peace

Artwork by Beth Nadler Click here to see all of her beautiful artwork on Etsy!!

When my kids were little, I always told them that they were not allowed to “hate” people.  You could hate an inanimate object; a “thing”, but never a person.  You might hate what they said or what they did, but you could not hate them. My beliefs have not changed.

Yesterday presented a real challenge to upholding those beliefs, however. About a mile from where I was standing yesterday afternoon, three completely innocent people were shot and killed for one reason.  The shooter thought they were Jewish. That’s it.  He didn’t know them.  He didn’t know their families.  He didn’t care. Tragically, he was just that full of hate. Kansas City suffered a tremendous loss yesterday.  A young man (HS freshman) an Eagle Scout, with a love for theater and a beautiful singing voice; his whole life ahead of him.  His loving grandfather, “a devoted family man”, married 49 years, who moved here to be closer to his grandchildren. A wife and mother, described as a “deeply caring individual”, who was an occupational therapist at the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. So much pain. Please join me in prayer for these hurting families…

We live in a world of differences that are meant to be CELEBRATED, not stereotyped. Our uniqueness makes us special. As for my husband and I; our extended family of siblings, their spouses, nieces and nephews, provides it’s very own “special blend of uniqueness“… We are Christian; we are Jewish; we are Mormon. We are African-American; we are Caucasian. We are Filipino; we are Panamanian. We are gay; we are straight. We are able-bodied; we have Down Syndrome. We. Are. FAMILY.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, a man who understood hate, but instead chose love. And peace. “Let no man pull you so low as to hate him.” I absolutely hate what this shooter did.  I hate that he took the life of three beautiful, innocent people.  I have zero tolerance for ANYONE who thinks they are superior to anyone else.  But to hate him will just perpetuate this evil cycle of hate. I do not want to spend time and energy dwelling on this evil man.  Let us, instead, go forward – with the words of Dr. King in our hearts… “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

So get out there and LOVE .  Spread kindness far and wide. You CAN make a difference.  We ALL can. But will you?  Every loving gesture to someone in need, every kind word to a friend, every act of kindness to a stranger… It. All. Matters.

So what will YOU do to leave your (kindness) mark TODAY…?

 

 

business? ethics

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"live happy", Avon, entrepreneur, ethics, friends, friendship, kindness, retail

Yesterday my daughter’s boyfriend approached me with a request.  Could he interview me on the topic of “business ethics”.  Hmmm…  On the first night of class, his teacher made the statement that there is really no such thing as “business ethics”.  Nice.  Couldn’t agree more.

So he did our little interview, and I, shockingly, rambled on and on and on… (SO good at that!). But our conversation stayed in my little brain long after “the interview” had ended, thoughts rolling around up there like little tiny frozen peas.  So here’s how I feel about it. (I sensed that you were dying to know)  I feel that ethics are ethics.  Period.  You can’t have a different set of values, morals and ethics – one for your personal life, and one reserved solely for business.  Nope.  Doesn’t work that way.

I have been in the retail world basically my entire life.  I started selling Avon door-to-door (And I mean that literally!) with my best friend, Laura, when we were 14.  Our moms had to drive us (Ha!) to the “required meetings”, where we rubbed shoulders with all of the “old ladies”.  (Yep.  Those “old ladies” were probably well into their 30’s… at least!!  HA!!)  Time marches on, and along the way I did everything imaginable with regard to retail; ultimately starting my own retail business, “Creations“, over eleven years ago.  Being an entrepreneur means having to get out there on your own and make it work.  I was a “one (wo)man band” – the CEO as well as the gal who makes the coffee.  And sometimes the coffee got burned.  There are lots (and lots) of people out there who really don’t care about anyone but themselves.  Fact.  However…. there are so many more who DO!!!  I really do believe that.  You just have to search them out and make them part of your circle.  When I say “circle”, I don’t mean in some “exclusive, you gotta meet all of these expectations, uppity, nose-in-the-air” kinda stuff.  Just the opposite, actually.  I care about the people that I call friends, and I want THEM to succeed, as well.  If we all work together in that circle, promoting each other, sharing info, contacts, suggestions, positive energy… we will ALL grow in ways that we cannot ALONE!  On the contrary, those who are out to (negatively) compete, with gossip and backstabbing… well; I would just have to ask them if they believe in karma??  I sure do.  If we are good and kind to others, the world will give all of that back… and more.  Believe it.   (Insert music to Kumbaya, and let’s all hold hands.)

So there it is.  That, my friends, is how I feel about (business) ethics.  Any other questions…?

live happy

the whole “kindness” thing…

Tags

"Mother Teresa", "pay it forward", "random acts of kindness", kindness

“Random Acts of Kindness”.  Hmmm…. You’ve heard of it, certainly.  It’s one of those “buzz word phrases” that gets thrown around a lot; but have you ever really stopped to consider what it ultimately has to do with YOU…??  Well – my opinion on that, (be it ever so humble), is; in a word… Everything.  Now let’s just think about this for a moment.  You are already living your daily life as a “kind” person; Right?  Practicing Random Acts of Kindness (RAKS) is just taking that daily kindness and bumping it up a level.  Or two.

OK – You already smile at the person behind you in line or strike up a friendly conversation; So how about letting them jump ahead of you when you have a full basket and they have just have a few goodies? What about leaving a quarter in the gumball machine  (woohoo!) or taping a dollar to the vending machine at work?  In the winter, try leaving hand/foot warmers for the mailman or offering to buy the Salvation Army “bell ringer” a warm drink.  Can you imagine the sheer joy of a “little nugget” (my daughter’s phrase) upon discovering a dollar bill on the shelf of the toy department ? (make sure you pick a lower shelf 🙂  If a friend is under the weather, perhaps a little homemade soup is “just what the doctor ordered”. Your trashmen work so hard, and they love cold bottled waters in the heat of summer.  Warm chocolate chip cookies are always good for the soul, or perhaps a soothing candle for a friend who is feeling overwhelmed.  An unexpected hand-written card or note in the mail will certainly brighten anyone’s day.

One of the simplest things to do is the “pay it forward” in the drive thru line.  Any drive thru. If you have never practiced RAKS before, this is a GREAT place to “start”.  When you get to the window, you simply tell the person taking the money that you would also like to pay for the person behind you.  It makes the person at the window happy, and the person behind you in line even happier!  The true gift, however, is the way that you feel after you do it.  It’s like a high.  Really.  And there are long-lasting benefits that you may not have considered yet. This whole “kindness thing“… well – let me tell you right now –  It’s both addicting AND contagious! xo

Am I so simplistic and naive that I believe that I can “singlehandedly” create world peace…?  no.  Do I believe that I can, however, change the world?  yes.  Mother Teresa’s quote from yesterday’s (part 1) blog post bears repeating… “If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one”. 

And so I challenge you TODAY… to start practicing simple acts of kindness with those around you.  Friends, as well as complete strangers.  To get you in the right frame of mind, take a minute to watch this little video – “Take a seat – Make a friend”.  Watch it all the way through, and it will, hopefully, leave you inspired. For free printables of the cute little “Kindness Quotes” (below), click on this link – “Thirty Handmade Days”.  For even further inspiration, click HERE for some actual pics of heartwarming examples of RAK and HERE for a list of 134 simple ideas for RAK!!!  I’m making it SO EASY for you… only because I sincerely believe in the true POWER of kindness!!  “There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple with no logical end”. – Scott Adams

so what to do…?

Tags

"Boston Marathon", "Mother Teresa", "random acts of kindness", "Sandy Hook", compassion, kindness, love, marathon

What happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday is incomprehensible.  A senseless act of violence against innocent people; so horrific that it takes our breath away.  It’s like Sandy Hook all over again.  We are in shock, and react with the predictable emotions… anger, fear, sorrow, helplessness.  In the midst of the chaos and confusion, however – there is another side to the story.  A gentle, loving side.  There were police officers, first responders, hospital workers, med students, ambulance drivers.  There were bystanders and complete strangers.  They all rushed in to help with one common purpose…to help in any way that they could. Marathon runners who had yet to complete the run, instead ran/walked the rest of the “race” to the Red Cross to offer what they could.  Even after running a marathon.  When surrounding hotels were forced to close down, messages poured out from the people of Boston – offering their homes as a warm place to stay.  People opened their hearts in the midst of devastating chaos, and this reminds us NOT to lose sight of something very fundamental.  People are good.  Random acts of violence do not change this fact.

So what to do…?

Well, I say we fight fire with fire.  OK – remember back in science class when we learned about the “law of motion” from Sir Issac Newton…”For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” (Ok.  So I liked science.) Yesterday’s “action” was a random act of violence.  Our “reaction” is to come back, FULL FORCE, with a barrage of RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.  Let’s show the world we care.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one”.  – Mother Teresa

Ponder that thought – I’ll be back tomorrow.

“In spite of everything, I really do believe people are good at heart.” (Ann Frank)

color me happy

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"happy colors", "rainbow cake", cake, color, happy, juicing, kindness, rainbow

trash day

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"live happy", "random acts of kindness", create, dream, gratitude, home, kids, kindness, laugh, love, twins

Today is Tuesday, and Tuesday is “trash day” at our house.  In our home, this is a day of scheduled acts of kindness… vs. “random”.  I have a story to share, but I have to admit that I was torn about whether to “put it out there”… or not.  I am a HUGE believer in “Acts of Kindness” that come from the heart in a spirit of love and generosity.  Not attention or recognition.  When I came across this quote (below), I knew that sharing my story was the way to go.  I realized that in the sharing of these “good deeds” – we are really sharing the “spirit” of these deeds, therefore making them contagious.

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.”

~Amelia Earhart

It all started about 20 years ago.  My twins were very young and absolutely fascinated with watching the trashmen in their big trucks. They would wait for trash day every single week, and then they would pull up their “Little Tikes” chairs to their second story bedroom window and wait… and wait… and wait… for the trashmen to arrive.  I cannot honestly tell you how the conversation originally began, but suffice it to say that we decided that the trashmen were probably quite thirsty in the middle of their long, hard day.  So we started taking cold sodas out to them when they would arrive.  Every week.  The problem would arise, however, if we were not there at the moment that they arrived.  So we started a new plan.  We bought a little cooler that was big enough to hold a few sodas and an ice pack.  If we were not going to be there, they knew that the cooler was for them.  This soon stretched into winter, and we knew how cold the trashmen must be on their long winter days.  So we started making hot chocolate and got a big thermos that we could fill in the morning.  The kids would make little “goodie bags” for them at Christmas time with snacks, McDonald’s gift certificates and homemade cookies.  This whole idea blossomed into taking sodas on a hot summer day to anyone who looked thirsty… even if it was roofers working on a house three doors down!  They had internalized this spirit of kindness and were thinking kind thoughts – independent of their mom – with their own little hearts.  Wow.

Fast forward twenty years.  Our kids are away at college, and their hearts will always be kind.  Tuesday is still trash day… a scheduled act of kindness day that has been so richly rewarded through the years in hugs and smiles and gratitude.  WE are blessed.  Pass it on…

live happy… laugh, love, dream, create

one tiny footprint…

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"9/11", "Just do it", "rock paper scissors", "September 11", evil, good, honesty, indifference, kindness, life, love, memories, memory, Nike, respect

Who would have ever guessed that three little numbers would forever change the lives of a nation.  Our nation.  9/11.

We all remember where we were on that fateful morning.  It’s etched in our memories forever.  The horrors of the day; the names, the faces, the stories…. They will all be relived today.  We mourn as a nation.  We pray for the lives of those whose hearts still ache for loved ones, lost forever.

Yes.  There is evil in the world.  But there is also good.  And lots of it.  I have this outlook on life that is kind of a “rock, paper, scissors” kind of thing.  The way I see it, besides kind and evil, we also have the obstacle of indifference.  As a nation, our problems are too overwhelming.  It’s just too much.  After all, we are just one person… Right?  So what to do.  Well, for me, it’s really all about me… You see, I feel that in this “rock, paper, scissors” game of life… good always wins over evil AND indifference.  The problem is, it’s two against one!  I can’t control the thoughts or actions of another human being – but I can control what I give to this world.  I choose kindness.  Honesty.  Respect.  Love.  I vow to make a difference within this tiny little footprint that I have in this world, because it’s all that I have.  And even though I cannot “control” other people; I most certainly can influence them through my own actions.  After choosing the quote (above) to include in this post, I had to smile.  It’s from Nike; a company that truly is all about “the game”.  And in this particular quote it is “the game of life“, as well.  As a nation, we will never be able to eliminate evil; nor indifference.  But we do have that tiny footprint, and we can choose good.  Every day.  Kindness is contagious… Just do it!

one of those days

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"live happy", blessed, blessings, gratitude & happiness, hug, kindness, life, listen, love & family, many blessings, moments of reflection, one of those days, respect

Ever had one of those days when something stops you dead in your tracks…  Maybe you were kinda, sorta expecting it; often times it comes out of nowhere and pulls the rug out from under you.  These are the times that we are called to pause and quiet ourselves in a way that allows us to absorb the world around us.  Sometimes we need these moments of reflection to remind us of where we are, who we are and where we are going.  Did we stop this morning to count our many blessings? Did we love the ones that we love?  Did we make someone laugh or smile; show kindness to a stranger or put someone else’s needs before our own…?

I am incredibly blessed in my life, and I will go to bed tonight with a feeling of deep gratitude for all that I love…          live happy