Kindness

I haven't posted in a bit because I've been travelling on business. I wanted to talk about kindness for a moment, mostly because this is an area that challenges so many of us.

Have you noticed that it's 'easy' to be consistently kind to those you don't know, or barely know; and much harder to be consistently kind to those you know and love. Why is that? I think we sometimes get lazy in thinking about our words and actions.

Building your foundation requires that you 'practice' being kind as often as possible. Do you remember the "Random Acts of Kindness" that was popular awhile back?

Some good ideas "Random acts of kindness are those sweet or lovely things we do for no reason except that, momentarily, the best of our humanity has sprung into full bloom. When you spontaneously give a stranger the bouquet of red carnations you had meant to take home to your own dinner table, when you give your lunch to the guitar-playing homeless person who makes music at the corner between your two subway stops, when you anonymously put coins in someone else's parking meter because you see the red "EXPIRED" medallion signaling to the meter maid -you are doing not what life requires of you, but what the best of your human soul invites you to do." (Daphne Rose Kingma, from the book Random Acts of Kindness, by Dawna Markova, Conari Press)

Service

I've been thinking alot lately about the concept of "service". Serving your community, your faith, your family and friends. I believe that being "useful" is one of the most rewarding things about being alive. It makes the heart full.

My meditation and prayer this morning is to renew my service activities. I'm very active in community service and I've written here that my teaching activities are a way of giving back. I believe that. I'm looking for new inspiration in service and have put it out to the Universe: Show me how to be of service today.

I challenge you to renew your service and giving activities also. What are you currently doing to help someone else? What kindness can you show today, what small action can you take to contribute to life? Let's do this together and help make someone's world happier.