Everyday Kindness: The Healing Effect Of Kindness
Ahmed Janabi
Baghdad, Iraq
The Healing Effect of Kindness
In 2008, Ahmed was going through a dark time in his life, when he decided to visit Paris.
He was living with diabetes and epileptic fits, feeling depressed and having thoughts about ending his life. Ahmed considered optimism as a big lie spun to make people who suffered tough luck forget their misfortunes. He found himself constantly surrounded by negative thoughts.
One day he was walking through one of the most crowded streets of Montmarte with a frown on his face. All around him were people enjoying life with their friends and lovers. Nobody looked at him or saw the frown on his face.
He walked on for a couple of hours, lamenting his sorry life. When suddenly, amidst the crowd he saw an old woman who was looking at him.
She smiled deeply at me and my face. She inevitably made my frown bloom into a smile. It was mutual. She was the only person there to share her happiness with me and I was smiling for some time without evening knowing it!
At the time, Ahmed realized for the first time the true effect of a small act of kindness, one even as small as a smile. He looked through the alley again, but could not find the woman.
Ahmed hopes to someday see her again and tell her thank you because since then his life changed. He began to be known for his smile and positivity. He entered medical school and will soon graduate to heal people and remind them that their smile is always the best remedy!
- Edited by Soumya John
Everyday Kindness: The Power to Change
Lorelei Phillips
Halifax, Canada
The Power to Change
Lorelei Phillips grew up in the small, rural town of Digby, Nova Scotia. She is the oldest of three sisters, and was always involved in leadership roles throughout school. She was chosen to represent her town in regional and national exchanges, was a solid B+ student and was even prom queen in her graduation year. To this point, all the good things in her life just seemed to happen with very little effort on her part and she took for granted that’s just the way it is.
At 22, Lorelei found herself a victim of date rape and from there spiralled into dangerous patterns of self-sabotaging behaviour. She began to socially detach, found it difficult to trust friends or make new ones and eventually developed symptoms of anxiety and depression.
After therapy and a lot of personal healing, she finally understood that she had the power to change the course of her life by being kind to herself! This began a decade long journey of self-discovery and forgiveness culminating in the realization that the power of her mind could be used as a force for good!
She was asked to help bring a project to life that eventually blossomed into a non-profit called Start with a Smile; whose aim is to change the world by starting with ourselves! Her work through Start with a Smile reaffirmed the power of consciously choosing how to exist and interact with the world on a daily basis.
For Lorelei, it wasn’t about being positive all of the time, it was about accepting that we are all human, herself included, and to her that meant that some days we have the strength and power to lift others in dark times and sometimes we need to be gentle with ourselves and lean on the strength and power of others to lift us!
It’s about positive social interaction with people who genuinely care and it’s about being mindful of how she chooses to show up everyday.
Today, Lorelei looks at life as an adventure with ups and downs, successes and failures and incredible opportunities for growth! She has learned that life isn’t always the plethora of positivity and good fortune she experienced in high school but that it is her choice to make the best out of every situation by loving herself first!
She has since started a business that connects with her passion for helping others be gentle with themselves, takes better care of her health and is working with a personal trainer, actively faces fears (ex. tubing on the Gaspereau River and moving across the country!), volunteers in the community and makes having fun a priority by letting it all go once a week (at least) with some dance therapy! She is now excited to see what the next decade has in store and knows that through self-compassion anything is possible!
- Edited by Soumya John
The Daily Kindness Digest #409
Kindness Quote
“You can’t always sit in your corner of the forest and wait for people to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”
Winnie the Pooh
Act of Kindness
Reach out and make amends with that someone in your life. If you’re thinking of someone right now, don’t wait – make the call. Sometimes we need to take the first step so others can meet us halfway.
Positive Affirmation
Today I accept what comes my way. Before reacting I take a deep breathe and remind myself that nothing is more important than my mental wellbeing.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #408
Kindness Quote
“Procrastination, makes easy things hard and hard things, harder.”
Mason Cooley
Act of Kindness
Make today a day of action! Make that call, send that text, answer that email or make that appointment you’ve been pushing off. The relief you’ll feel will be more than worth it.
Positive Affirmation
Today, I live in harmony with myself and others. I fill my life with positivity and pass that on to the people around me.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #407
Kindness Quote
“Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
Mark Twain
Act of Kindness
Been battling with a decision that tests your integrity? Silence the noise convincing you to set your values aside or even worse justifying the action. Stick to your guns – your integrity is priceless.
Positive Affirmation
Today I will cherish my family and loved ones as they cherish me.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #406
Kindness Quote
“Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.”
Unknown
Act of Kindness
When engaging in conversation, take an extra minute to think how your words can impact another. Even in times of frustration we can use words to communicate instead of reprimand.
Positive Affirmation
Today I am compassionate and understanding of others and their daily struggles.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #405
Kindness Quote
“The single biggest problem in communication is, the illusion that it has taken place.”
George Bernard Shaw
Act of Kindness
Be understanding and assume the best in others. If someone is running late or has called in sick don’t assume they’re trying to get out of something. Benefit of the doubt goes a long way.
Positive Affirmation
Today I am transparent. I express myself openly and honestly.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #404
Kindness Quote
“Sometimes, good things fall apart, so better things can fall together.”
Marilyn Monroe
Act of Kindness
You are your biggest critic. When you hear that negative, discouraging voice in your head, remember to give yourself a break — you deserve kindness too!
Positive Affirmation
Today I epitomize forgiveness, recognizing that sometimes the most important forgiveness is self forgiveness.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #403
Kindness Quote
“What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the kind.”
Cleveland Amory
Act of Kindness
Find a public wish list on Amazon.com and send a gift to a stranger. What an awesome way to infuse someone with kindness energy they will most definitely pass forward!
Positive Affirmation
Today I do something new that I’ve never done before. I am open to learning and growing.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #402
Kindness Quote
“I’ve found that the more we give, the more we heal.”
Orly Wahba
Act of Kindness
Take a moment to share what you feel whether on social media, in a family chat, or on a private call with a friend. In times of hardship, we must connect with others and allow ourselves to be vulnerable so that we can make our way to the other side.
Positive Affirmation
Today I am strong. I won’t allow tragedy to break my spirit but only reaffirm why I need to keep on going.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #401
Kindness Quote
“Don’t run away from life, run to it.”
Sylvia Solomon
Act of Kindness
Be part of the solution. When going about your day be mindful to pick up trash you may see on the floor. This is our world, let’s respect it!
Positive Affirmation
Today is all about moving forward. I find STRENGTH in my pain and allow myself to let go of the things that are preventing me from taking my next step.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #400
Kindness Quote
“It’s a simple word, thank you!”
Sylvia Solomon
Act of Kindness
Invite someone in your school or place of work to join you for lunch. There’s nothing like bonding over a meal – a new friendship may be on the horizon.
Positive Affirmation
Today I take CHANCES! I attempt the things that I have been too afraid to try in the past. I can do it if I believe I can.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #399
Kindness Quote
“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.”
Napoleon Hill
Act of Kindness
Send someone a good morning text. What a great way to kickstart their day and let them know you’re thinking of them. Starting our day with positivity sets the tone for what’s to come next.
Positive Affirmation
Today I am a listening ear. I approach each person with and open heart and an open mind.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #398
Kindness Quote
“The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.”
Riyu Ghatourey
Act of Kindness
Let a friend or family member know how much you believe in them. Sometimes all we need to believe in ourselves is to know someone else believes in us too!
Positive Affirmation
Today I take a little time to just be! In our stillness we can find our true selves.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #397
Kindness Quote
“All kids need is a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.”
Magic Johnson
Act of Kindness
Reach out to a child in your life and simply listen. Everyone is going through something, sometimes all we need is a listening ear and an open heart.
Positive Affirmation
Today I am a LEADER! I’m open to learning something from everyone I meet as opposed to simply following the crowd.
Kindness Media
The Daily Kindness Digest #396
Kindness Quote
“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”
A. A. Milne
Act of Kindness
Know of someone in your life working to better the world in their own unique way? Reach out and offer support whether it be financial, emotional or just an encouraging word to remind them that their work matters.
Positive Affirmation
Today I trust that no matter how bleak my future may seem there is rhyme and reason to everything.