The Daily Kindness Digest #61
Kindness Quote
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
Ayn Rand
Act of Kindness
Offer someone who can’t drive, to drive them around for the day. That extra time together could be the beginning of something special!
Positive Affirmation
I am a LISTENER. I listen to the opinions of those around me as though they were my own, and consider them seriously. We can all unite together if we can just respect each other’s opinions.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #60
Kindness Quote
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
Henry Ford
Act of Kindness
Help clean up your local beach! It can look like a whole new world once you’re done!
Positive Affirmation
I am PATIENT… with MYSELF. The beauty is in the journey, not the destination!
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #59
Kindness Quote
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
Jimmy Dean
Act of Kindness
Return your shopping cart back to where it belongs! Another shopper will appreciate your kind act when they are ready to enter the store.
Positive Affirmation
I recognize my own personal power. My smile has the power to brighten someone’s day, my touch has the power to convey love, and my words have the power to inspire.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #58
Kindness Quote
“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”
Oprah Winfrey
Act of Kindness
Read a book to a child or an elderly person. Stories have a way of taking us away from reality like nothing else can!
Positive Affirmation
I am HOPEFUL. I believe in a better future than past, and I do all that I can to make it so.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #57
Kindness Quote
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Harriet Tubman
Act of Kindness
Leave a whole bunch of pennies heads-up for people to find on the sidewalk or other public places. Kids especially will love finding these good luck charms.
Positive Affirmation
I surround myself with positive and loving people.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #56
Kindness Quote
“I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”
Muhammad Ali
Act of Kindness
Hold the door open for someone today! What may seem like a small gesture could completely turn someone’s day around!
Positive Affirmation
Today, and every day, I choose to make a difference in this world.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #55
Kindness Quote
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Act of Kindness
Take a solo road trip to a new destination. This time alone will give you a sense of empowerment and liberation—and it’s nice to do things for yourself sometimes!
Positive Affirmation
I deserve whatever good comes my way today.
Kindness Media
The Kindness Flash #03
The Kindness Flash #03
This month's theme: PERSPECTIVE - the power of positive thinking and discovering the silver lining to every cloud.
Everyday Kindness: Our Warm and Fuzzy Kindness Ambassador
Amanda Yates was on her way out of the bathroom when she heard someone crying in one of the stalls. Caught off guard and awkwardly placed in this position, she didn’t know what to do.
By Amanda Yates // North Carolina, USA • Read More >>
Everyday Kindness: Deanna's Calling Card of Kindness
As she walked into the pharmacy, Deanna saw a young man sitting on the ground in tattered blankets – a sight that unfortunately is not so uncommon in New York City.
By Deanna Liderman // New York City, USA • Read More >>
Kind Connection: Marwa Ben Njima
Sometimes we find love and acceptance in the most unexpected places, Marwa Ben Njima, called ‘the butterfly ambassador’ by many, found a new family the day she decided that she wanted to learn more about the Life Vest Inside Kindness Ambassadors. Get to know more about Marwa and see if there’s a way you can contribute advice or guidance to help Marwa fulfill her Kindness Wish!
Read the full interview on the blog >>
Good News
When the financial crisis hit Greece in 2009, Konstantinos, a local man, was broke and faced hardship like he hadn’t faced before. Not only that, he saw children in the streets fighting over rotten food. But from the struggle of despair came kindness from his heart. Konstantinos decided to see the silver lining. While he couldn’t magically cure the financial woes everyone was facing, what Konstantinos decided to do was see the silver lining and try to make a difference. He began cooking huge meals for those who needed it - all for free. And just like any other act of kindness, it can spread! As he continued doing this, others in the market would donate food for meals. By no means is Konstantinos rich, except in his heart.
Whether it be a small bump in the road or a large mountain to climb, obstacles present a challenge to us - but not only to overcome them, but to bring out something better because of them. Perspective allows us to see that. As Samuel Grafton once said, “A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye.”
Perspective isn’t seeing the world through rose colored glasses when things are going bad. It’s about seeing the opportunities to rise above adversities; it’s finding the potential in in situations with little hope; Perspective isn’t about ignoring the trials and tribulations we may face, it’s about seeing that there is still hope and using that as an opportunity to brighten the world.
Kindness Quote
~ Leonard Louis Levinson
Act of Kindness
Question of the Month
Kindness Media
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The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown
Sometimes our negative perception of ourselves allows us to feel like we aren’t enough and can’t accomplish the goals we set for ourselves. But what if we could change the way we see things, the way we see ourselves - so that we can more readily embrace the good in every situation.
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A message from our Partner: Character Day:
Join us on Sept 22, 2016 for the third annual Character Day! Character Day is an exciting global day where students and educators from around the world screen short award-winning films on the science behind social and emotional learning and character development from different perspectives. Students then dive into free printed discussion materials and resources rooted in evidence-based research that explore the questions, who am I? Who do I want to be in the world, and how can I develop those character strengths (resilience, grit, empathy, courage, humor, curiosity, etc)? All participants are also invited to join an online global video conversation that unifies all the events around the world.
Last year Character Day saw over 6,700 events in schools, classrooms, and organizations with people joining in from 125 countries. Your Character Day event can look and feel any way you would like it to be.....any time of the day, anywhere, and any size. Some schools do campus-wide assemblies, other teachers do specific events in their classrooms. Companies and organizations plan short events throughout the day. The creativity is up to you, and the materials are all free (Films, Periodic Table of Character Strengths Poster, printed discussion materials, a robust online hub of resources and lessons plans and an online conversation with leading experts on Character education from multiple perspectives). You can watch the acclaimed films “The Science of Character” (8 min) and “The Adaptable Mind” (11 min) to get a better sense of what types of films will be shown on Character Day.
Once you sign up, there will be monthly webinars to hear others talk about their inspiring experiences and ideas for hosting different kinds of Character Day events. All you need to do is register (which takes 2 minutes) and all of these materials will be provided for you. Please sign up at CharacterDay.org!
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The Daily Kindness Digest #54
Kindness Quote
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Act of Kindness
Spread kindness through the power of your voice. Stop and sing a song to a person sitting on a bench in a park.
Positive Affirmation
I courageously open and move through every door of opportunity.
Kindness Media
Everyday Kindness: Deanna’s Calling Card of Kindness
Deanna Liderman
New York, NY
Empathy
Deanna’s Calling Card of Kindness
“She understood that more than any one thing, the greatest gift she could give was her time and getting to know the man behind the homelessness.”
“We, as human beings, have become desensitized to pain and hardship because its omnipresent and overwhelming. We, collectively and individually, feel powerless to change it because it's one person against the world.” Deanna Liderman says. It was a chance encounter Deanna had outside a pharmacy across from Grand Central Terminal that gave her an opportunity to infuse kindness into the world.
As she walked into the pharmacy, Deanna saw a young man sitting on the ground in tattered blankets - a sight that unfortunately is not so uncommon in New York City. In the same situation, others may continue walking on by possibly thinking, “Well, I’m just one person, what can I do?” But with a kindness mindset in place, Deanna stopped, looked up at the man’s face and asked if he needed something from the pharmacy.
He shook his head as if to say no, but instead of jumping at the chance to just walk away feeling like she did her part, Deanna stood there until the man simply replied, “I haven’t spoken to my parents in a while, can you get me a phone card?” Not money, not food, not anything else, but a phone card.
As Deanna went into the pharmacy she heard the man shout “Thank you!”
When she returned she could have handed him the card and went on her way, feeling a sense of satisfaction that she helped someone. But simply handing over a card wasn’t enough - not for Deanna.
She understood that more than any one thing, the greatest gift she could give was her time and getting to know the man behind the homelessness.
Little did she know that the short conversation would provide her with more inspiration than she could have hoped for with an invaluable lesson to be learned. A lesson in perception; to look beyond the negative perception that many have of homeless people and to realize that you are talking to a fellow human being. A person, that as she came to learn, was more than just a man sitting on the street. He was an artisan, a jewelry maker, a talented man who was just down on his luck.
What Deanna saw in him was something many of us fail to see in each other - possibility.
Reminiscing on that day and her unexpected inspiring talk with a stranger, Deanna says, "this was as close to happiness as I have felt in a long time."
Deanna now confidently tells the world that kindness is the key to happiness.
Everyday Kindness: Our Warm and Fuzzy Kindness Ambassador
Amanda Yates
North Carolina, USA
Caring
Our Warm and Fuzzy Kindness Ambassador
“...what he said to me I will never forget. He said ‘you are the best person I've ever met.’ I know that may not mean much to some people but I could just see how grateful and sincere he was in his eyes.”
Amanda Yates was on her way out of the bathroom when she heard someone crying in one of the stalls. Caught off guard and awkwardly placed in this position, she didn’t know what to do. Afterall, communicating through a bathroom stall is a bit awkward. With a pen and paper in her hand, and love and empathy in her heart Amanda started writing. She slipped the paper under the stall and SUCCESS - the crying stopped and an idea was born! ‘Warm and fuzzies’ she called it. Small notes packed with lots of love that she handed to random strangers in need of a bit of cheering up.
Amanda may have questioned her idea before, but an unlikely encounter with a homeless man proved that “warm and fuzzies” were in greater demand than she thought. She could have walked on by, thrown a few dollars his way, or possibly a kind head nod - but not Amanda. She grabbed some snacks, walked on over and what started out as a short convo quickly turned into 30 minutes. She didn’t just make his day, she learned his story, gave him a voice, and made him feel important. You can imagine what Amanda did next. She reached into her pocket, handed him a “warm and fuzzy” card and realized that she too was left with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
...what he said to me I will never forget. He said ‘you are the best person I've ever met.’ I know that may not mean much to some people but I could just see how grateful and sincere he was in his eyes. Ya know, some people just need someone to listen. Someone to let them know they aren't alone in this world, someone DOES care about them!?
The Daily Kindness Digest #53
Kindness Quote
“Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
Samuel Beckett
Act of Kindness
Donate some of your used books to the local library. The books you once liked reading will probably bring someone else great joy one day!
Positive Affirmation
Every day I am more and more at ease.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #52
Kindness Quote
“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.”
Maya Angelou
Act of Kindness
Give up your parking spot to someone else that is looking, even if you got there first. Someone once did that for you and it probably made your day!
Positive Affirmation
I am grateful for this moment and find joy in it.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #51
Kindness Quote
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Mark Twain
Act of Kindness
Give some food to someone that doesn’t have any. No matter how small the portion may be, anything will be better than an empty stomach.
Positive Affirmation
I fully accept myself and know that I am worthy of great things in life.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #50
Kindness Quote
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.”
Sam Levenson
Act of Kindness
Call up a friend or family member and tell them that you love them. This little reminder is a very touching gesture, and it’s always comforting to hear that they love you too!
Positive Affirmation
I trust myself and know my inner wisdom is my best guide.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #49
Kindness Quote
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
C.S. Lewis
Act of Kindness
Leave the mailman a nice cold drink on a hot summer day. This will certainly brighten their outlook and motivate them to get through the day!
Positive Affirmation
Leave the mailman a nice cold drink on a hot summer day. This will certainly brighten their outlook and motivate them to get through the day!