Being unkind

If someone is unkind to you, is that a good reason for you to be unkind to them?  I'm sure you already know that the answer is no.  Our kindness should not be based on what we get back.  Now I am not saying we should allow someone to hurt us.  There are times when the bast thing to do is just walk away.  There is never a good reason though for being unkind.

let me talk to you

Let me talk to you about hospitality or niceness or affection or helpfulness or warmth or unselfishness or benevolence or consideration or warmheartedness or friendliness or neighborliness or charitableness or gentleness or understanding or thoughtfulness or generosity or big-heartedness - in other words, kindness.  That's what this daily blog is all about.  Come join us each day and tell your friends too!

Is is really spring?

Funny how the weather varies from place to place.  Where I grew up there might be snow on the ground this time of year, even though it is officially spring.  In some places it's even hot.  Yes, it's really spring, even if it doesn't seem like it where you are.  Why not pick up a nice bouquet of flowers to put you in the spirit?  Wait!  How about picking up two bouquets and giving one to a friend?

surrounded by loved ones

We have all hear the phrase surrounded by loved ones when a person passes away. In my thinking, one of the kindest things anyone can do is to simply be there. Not everyone has family, but we can all have friends - loved ones. Let us be there not only in the final hours, but all through life.

self-kindness

To truly practice self-love, you have to learn self-kindness, and being kind to yourself means getting serious and committed to your dreams.

blessings of the day

One Saint Patrick's Day (probably long ago) I was blessed with these words: "May you have the hindsight to know where you’ve been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far. Have a long life and a merry one, a quick death and an easy one, a pretty girl and an honest one, and a cold pint and another one!"

Acts of kindness

Every now and then I have listed things we can all do to show kindness toward others. Here are some more: Volunteer to be a tutor in a school. Buy a pack of brightly colored stickers and give them to children you meet during the day. Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line. Invite someone new for dinner, either in your home or in a restaurant. Give toys to the children at a shelter. Say nice things randomly to facebook and twitter friends. Buy some bottles of water and randomly hand them out to strangers on the street. Drop off a plant or a plate of cookies to your nearby police or fire station. Please add your own ideas below!

Surprise dessert

When I'm in a restaurant, I seldom order dessert, especially when I am eating alone, but I recall one time when the waiter approached my table with a beautiful looking orange kanten, telling me the table across the room had sent it.  I glanced over and realized that the couple seated there were people I knew.  How lovely though - a nice surprise dessert!  What a kind thing to do,

walking the earth like brothers

It's been many years since Martin Luther King Jr. said “We have flown the air like birds and swum the sea like fishes, but have yet to learn the simple act of walking the earth like brothers.” When will we learn?

popularity

Some folks may think of life as a popularity contest, but that's not how it is.  No matter how hard we try and how nice we are, there will always be those who don't like us for some reason.  Don't let it get you down.  Be yourself.  Stay positive.  Keep spreading the love, even when it is not returned.

from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Essayist, poet, and lecturer Ralph Waldo Emerson said "You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." How true.

Self kindness

 Be sure to show yourself the same kindness you show others.  YOU are important.  Don't forget that!

simple

There is no secret or hidden message here in these daily postings.  It is as simple as it appears.  My message is one of kindness.  I want to be a kinder person and I want to encourage others to do the same.  It's simple.

It isn't very hard at all

Kindness.  We really aren't talking about a difficult task.  In fact, it isn't very hard at all.  The more we are kind to others, the easier it is to do.  It becomes a way of life.

naturally

Kindness is an intrinsic part of living rather than merely an act of gratitude. The best kindness just comes naturally.

The Value of a Moment

Sometimes we never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory that we wish we could experience over and over and over again!

help one another

One of the most beautiful things we can do is to help one another.  Kindness doesn't cost a thing.

Random acts

I have listed various acts of kindness here before. Here are a few more: Volunteer to read to kids in the library. Donate time at a senior center. Give a pair of tickets to a concert or baseball game to a stranger. Send a gift anonymously to a friend. Pay for the person behind you in the movie line. Tell your parents/children why you love them. Give blood. Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through. Bring flowers to work and share them with coworkers. Can you think of more?

mean can turn to nice

If someone isn't very nice, remember that we can all change.  Never give up. We can all get better and do better, but just because you do nice things occasionally doesn't make you a nice person. Let's never turn away from good but always strive to be more kind. Already a nice person?  Try to become even nicer!

simple message

The message here day after day is really quite simple:  be kind.  Sometimes I just want to shout it from the rooftops.  Someday I hope everyone will realize how important this is1

Goodness and kindness

Goodness and kindness.  Spread this every single place you go.  Life is too short to be doing otherwise.

No day off

It's Sunday, so no school or work, and therefore no need to be kind, right?  WRONG!  We don't take a day off from caring about others?  Being good and kind is an everyday occurrence we should practice every single day!