You Say You Want a Resolution?

Tomorrow we start a brand-new year, and traditionally many of us will begin by making resolutions.  How about you?  What will you resolve to do?  For me it continues to be about kindness.  We can never have too much!  I'm going to try even harder in 2024.  We can make this world of ours a better place, one kind act at a time.

Has this been a kind year

How kind has 2023 been?  Was I kind enough?  Were you kind enough.  Could we have done better?  On this last weekend, I invite you to think back and reflect on kindness.  In my opinion, I can always do better, and I will continue to work on that.  Please join me.  It really makes a difference!

Beautiful lawns and gardens

The groundskeepers where I live do excellent work. The lawns are always exceptional and the flowers and trees so incredibly beautiful. Yesterday, one of the men was packing up tools at the end of the day and I complimented him on the way they had just changed the plants and the rocks surrounding the parking area. "Oh you're too kind." he said. Was that kindness? I was just speaking the truth. Maybe we should all do that a bit more often.

what's it all about

Generosity, concern, consideration, niceness, giving to others (in many cases more than they deserve). That's what kindness is all about.  It makes you feel good too!

Be one

There are so many good people out there in the world. If you're having trouble finding one, then be one!

share some

May goodness be your guide as you go about your day, and may your cup overflow with peace, love and pure awesomeness. Be sure to share some of that too!

Happy Christmas everybody!

You deserve happiness and joy whether or not you celebrate Christmas.  This is true not only today, but every single day of the year! My wish for you is lots of love and kindness today and always. Let us all continue to do our part to share and spread that kindness to everybody.

The gift of presence

It seems everyone is out holiday shopping and spending lots of money that they can't afford.  I really don't need a present.  This year, consider the gift of presence instead!

Ugly dress

If a woman asks you about the hideous dress she is wearing, there is no great need for you to say it is ugly.  If you are her spouse or a close friend, you might make a suggestion about how she might improve her appearance, but this is one of those times when it is okay to skirt the truth.  Oh and if she didn't ask, what does it accomplish if you simply blurt out that the dress is ugly?  The kind thing to do is sometimes to simply keep your mouth shut.

thorn bushes have roses

Abraham Lincoln once said "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."   What a great way of looking at things!  I love a positive attitude, don't you? 

Not just December

Most folks love the parties, the gift-giving, and all the extra happiness that seems to show up every year at this time, but I wish we could all do a better job of spreading it out through the rest of the year.  Why should one month get all the fun?  Kindness is not only for December, but for every month and every single day!

Mothers

There are great people you meet along the way, who inspire you to do great things yourself.  Mothers so often are those great people.  My own mom certainly was.  All good things that I might do are because of the good things she inspired me to do.  I try to be kind.  I'm not perfect, but hopefully writing this daily blog helps me too.  Today would have been Mom's 97th birthday.  I'll be thinking of her a little extra today, I'm sure.  Of your kindness, think of your own mothers too!

Thoughts about kindness

If you are visiting this blog for the first time, I write some thoughts about kindness here every single day.  Sometimes I might quote someone else.  Always I try to me encouraging.  I think the world can always use more kindness.  I would be thrilled to hear from other folks too.  Are folks generally kind to you?  What can all of us do to make this a kinder world?

Tradition

There isn't a single holiday decoration up at my apartment and I haven't sent out any Christmas cards.  I do celebrate.  What am I waiting for then?  Well, I'm very traditional.  It isn't Christmas yet.  I'll be putting up a tree next week, and I will be singing carols, just not yet.  I'm very traditional when it comes to kindness too.  Oh how important it is to be nice to folks!  Oh and I mean always, not just during the holidays!

Everywhere

And kindness spread throughout the world.  What a great thought, huh?  Kindness everywhere.  It shouldn't just be a thought.  It should be reality.  We can make it happen.  There are some things that might be out of our control, but this is not one of them.  Let's pitch in and let us see kindness in every part of the world!

What an incredible gift

Making people happy, being kind to one another - this is such an incredible gift to the world.  When we make others feel good, we make ourselves feel good, but it doesn't stop there.  Those around us are inspired.  Those who hear of our kind acts and the happiness they bring, are generally inspired as well.  One little act of kindness can circle the globe and bring kindness to the entire planet.

Quote

Here's a quote for you on this Friday morning as we prepare for our weekend.  I do not know the source.   "Distance does not separate people, silence does."

feeling with the heart

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.

so very thankful

Every single day I have things in my life that I am thankful for.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to rise and write something here.  I'm thankful for those of you reading these words.  I'm thankful if I have influenced folks in any way for the better.  Above all though I am thankful for all the blessings of this life.  How great it is to be living here in this day.

It makes me feel good

There are so many reasons for being kind.  At the top of my list:  It makes me feel good.  When people are kind to me, it makes me feel good and when I am kind to others, it makes me feel good.  It works both ways!

wonderful friendship

How wonderful is friendship! I read that the average American has sixteen friends, three of which are extremely close. How about you? I am also reminded that the best way to have friends is to be a friend. Reach out with kindness and be someone's friend.

Awareness

Part of being kind comes down to awareness I think.  We need to take a moment and think about how we are acting and how others see us.  Does our tone of voice seem friendly?  Do our actions bring joy or happiness to others?  More and more I try to be aware of everything I do and I am always grateful to hear the thoughts of others. 

Acknowledgements

Those acknowledgements in our life are important.  When someone does something special for you, thank them.  If you are a charity and you receive a donation, acknowledge it, and say thanks!  When people do exceptional things and make a difference in the world, see that they are recognized.  It is kind and it is courteous, and it just might make their day!

The Holiday Season

When we say "happy holidays," most people only think of two or three, but December has many! Last night at sundown, Hanukkah began and lasts until December 15th at nightfall. Coming up are Longest Night, Festivus, Christmas, Boxing Day, Zarathosht Diso, Kwanzaa, International Cello Day, and New Year's Eve. Oh my! Which ones do you celebrate? Of your kindness, find out about the customs of others and help make their celebrations happy!

Variety

I love December with its variety of celebrations.  Let's come up with a huge variety of ways to be kind too!

Saint Nicholas

The sixth of December is celebrated as the feast day of Saint Nicholas, and it has nothing to do with Christmas.  The legend tells of three bags of gold coins.  Whether or not it is true is really not important.  What Nicholas has come to represent is good honest giving with no expectation of anything in return.  That's what kindness is all about.  We should be kind because we want people to be kind to us.  We should do it because it is good and proper and because it makes other people feel good.  Today, think of Saint Nicholas as you do kind things and expect nothing at all in return.  You WILL get something.  You'll get a wonderful feeling!

laugh as much as I cry

Everything that came out of Maya Angelou's mouth was inspiring, or so it seemed. Ponder this statement of hers: "My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return." I particularly like the "laugh as much as I cry" part. Human emotion.

happy Monday!

Did someone say happy Monday?  So many hate Monday.  What's happy about it?  Sorry folks, but we have this wrong.  We can find happiness every single day.  We are alive!  Happiness comes in so many different forms.  If you don't feel happy, take a few moments to make someone else happy.

From Arnold Schwarzenegger

Some encouraging words from Arnold Schwarzenegger:  "You can't reason with people blinded by hate. They hate the power of the individual. They hate the progress of women. They hate the religious freedom of others. They hate the liberating breeze of democracy. But ladies and gentlemen, their hate is no match for America's decency."

why

Why do I write this blog? The list of reasons is long, but first and foremost, I appreciate kindness and want to see more of it. Along the way there have been people who have inspired me, especially my friends Toan and Wilson. I don't think we can ever be too kind, and that's why I intend to continue writing about it.

AIDS Day

World AIDS Day, observed on December 1 each year, is a day of solidarity for people around the world who are affected by HIV, a day for voices to unite by sharing experiences, remembering those lost, and standing together in the fight against HIV. Today is an opportunity for every community and each individual to honor the more than 32 million people who have died worldwide from AIDS-related illness.  In your kindness, let us continue the fight, and never forget those whom we have lost.