I’m reading Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach and she writes, “In one of the legends of the Holy Grail, Parsifal, a young knight on a quest, wanders into a parched and devastated land where nothing grows. When he arrives at the capital of this wasteland, he finds the townspeople behaving as if everything were normal. They are not wondering, ‘What horror has befallen us?’ or ‘What can we do?’ Rather, they are dull and mechanical, as if under a spell. Continue reading
Tag: kindness
Brian Williams, a motivational speaker and the founder of Think Kindness, said in his Ted Talk that the definition of life is “the pursuit of amazing stories. Stories of success, adversity, amazing events, happiness, failure, new beginnings.” Continue reading
The other day I read about a man named Pete Buttigieg, or Mayor Pete, who is running for president of the United States in 2020. He fought in Afghanistan. He ran for mayor of South Bend, Indiana and won at age 29. He is a Harvard graduate and a Rhodes Scholar. He is openly gay and married to the love of his life. He knows seven languages.
What a resume for a world leader. Then I read a story about him that really impressed me. An emergency room doctor tweeted that he had a patient who was near death and only spoke Arabic. A man in a suit showed up to translate between the doctor and the patient’s mother. Later the doctor asked how long he had been a hospital translator and the man quietly replied, “I don’t work at the hospital. I’m Mayor Pete.” He had heard the request for a translator on the police radio and rushed to the hospital.
What would the world be like with that kind of humanity at the helm? What do we do in our everyday lives that could emulate what Mayor Pete did in that hospital that night?
Helping strangers, going out of our way, doing the right thing, remaining humble. Those qualities change the world one small act of kindness at a time.
I don’t know who will win the next American election. But I hope it is someone who can unite people from all walks of life, no matter their political beliefs. Someone who reminds us that we are stronger together and we are more alike than different.
How can we make a difference today in our family, our neighbourhood, our workplace or our life? The little things are the big things.
December 5th, 2018 has been declared a national day of mourning to honour the late U.S. President George H.W. Bush. The federal government and the stock exchange will be closed among other things. Continue reading
This year, Random Act of Kindness Week ends on February 18. So there’s still time to make a difference.
Kindness makes the world go round and it’s the one characteristic that I always hope my children will display. Especially when no one is watching.
The best thing about kindness is that it costs little or nothing, takes a tiny amount of time, and can literally turn a frown upside down. And the energy in a kind act boomerangs back to the person who was kind. Making them feel happier, healthier and more positive because they were able to make someone smile. Continue reading