21 Day Kindness Challenge Top 10
When I take my daily walk, I say good morning to each person I pass on the trail. And when a bicycler comes up from behind and says, 'On your left', I always say thank you. Kindness becomes a habit." - - "When my daughter and I traveled home on Christmas Day one year, we made a small gesture that still makes me smile. We had wrapped Pez dispensers as a small gift for her 8 cousins. When my sister-in-law gave them all large gifts, we decided not to mention our little stocking stuffers. Instead, on the way back home, we gave one to each toll-worker we encountered. "Merry Christmas. Sorry you had to work today!" we said. We got smiles and waves and some even leaned out of their booths to watch us leave. That Christmas was a strange one, but those smiles and waves made it a holiday. Its not ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by arathi
- Jan 1, 2014
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Kindness Ninja Saturday!
Happy weekend, RAOKtivists! It's Kindness Ninja Saturday!! My sweet class of 23 second graders absolutely love sneaking out of our classroom and performing acts of kindness. We call ourselves the Kindness Classroom and we are Kindness Ninjas! The Kindness Ninjas' favorite RAOK was hiding bottles of bubbles around the playgrounds.
The past two Fridays, the Kindness Ninjas have made positive post-it notes for their friends as well as for some anonymous recipients. A big ninja snuck around after school and put some of these on teachers' classroom doors!
So....take it from the Kindness Ninjas...
Be kind. Be nice. Be sweet. And, never forget that together we can be the change we wish to see in the world!
- Posted by kaya63
- Oct 15, 2014
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Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2014
"Kindness, I've discovered, is everything in life." - Isaac Singer Sometimes, all it takes is a small reminder to open our eyes to the beauty and wonder that surrounds us. Lucky for us, we get those reminders every day! For the last 365 days, we have been inspired by innumerable acts of kindness that have touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world. The following stories are some of our favorites from this year. Enjoy! 3,762 Miles Walked and 100 Tons of Trash On an unassuming weekday evening, Jane was at home… as usual. As her thoughts swung between what she was going to do with her life and their dinner plans for the evening, she was unexpectedly interrupted by an urgent call from her sister “get over here! Turn on NBC and check these guys out, they are just like you…” One facebook message and a phone interview later, ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by KindSpring
- Jan 1, 2015
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Walking In the Rain
It’s past eight in the evening when I came out of the mall and it began to drizzle. I continued walking as I needed to cross the highway to board a bus. A few minutes later, the rain poured a little harder. I walked fast and put the brown envelope on top of my head to protect it from the rain. Then the rain drops became bigger. I walked even faster and held onto the envelope, though I knew I’d get wet sooner before I reach the bus. But suddenly, I heard someone calling me from behind. “Miss,” she said and motioned to share her umbrella with me. “Thank you,” I replied and was silent for a few seconds, surprised by such act of kindness from a stranger. “What’s your name,” I asked so I could acknowledge her. “Diane,” she replied. I told her that she was so kind. She just smiled. Then I asked ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by mangojuice
- Sep 7, 2007
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The Business of Respect and Kindness
So I am on the way to an appointment, and while I am not late yet, I don't have much time to spare. I drive up Henley Road (always careful to observe the speed limit, of course), and I approach that nasty, blind S-curve just south of U.S. 40. Ahead looms a garbage truck. Uh-oh. By their nature, garbage trucks progress slowly -- house by house by house. Passing a truck on that nasty, blind S-curve is foolish. I prepare for an impatient crawl through the curve and up to the stoplight. I see a hand hanging out the side of the truck. The hand is motioning. The hand is waving. The hand is motioning and waving for me to keep moving and go around the truck. I have the reflexes of Uwe Blab, but I finally pull out and around, pass the truck, reach U.S. 40, make it to my ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Tom Stein
- Oct 10, 2009
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Pre-school Acts of Kindness
Ethan is six and three quarters and Emily just turned seven, and they are best friends. Their pre-school teacher, Kathleen Albert, has been teaching them about kindness. So, for their graduation project, Ethan and Emily decided to raise money to help feed hungry people by collecting cans. When they were done, they had raised 5,304 dollars for the San Francisco Food Bank - enough money for 15,912 meals!
- Posted by HelpOthers Editors
- May 22, 2012
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Kids Are Kind
I decided to add some positive energy into my workspace by having the students contribute to a "question of the month." I posted a question on the wall outside my office at my elementary school and waited. Eventually, I started seeing some amazing ideas and answers to the questions. Here are some of the responses throughout the year. It was heart-warming and yet sad to me how some of the expressions are things many of us take for granted... If you had a million dollars what would you do with it and why? - I would give back to my city. So I could fix it up - I would buy food for my family and a car - I would give to foster children, homeless and everybody who needs it...yah, my family - I would give it to the school: books, pencils, better food - I would give back to the community, give some to ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by anonymous
- Apr 12, 2013
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The Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2013
"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to loose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." - George Sand Thank you, KindSpring community for who you are and all that you do. We are grateful for your presence, inspiration, and beauty that you constantly spread throughout the world, one small act of kindness at a time. We hope that you enjoy the Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2013! When I Hugged a Homeless Person I spent most of my early adult life looking through them. I was busy. I was working. I was raising a family and running errands. I had things to do. If you didn't look at them they weren't there, right? You know, those bedraggled looking people on the corner with a sign in their hand. I only wanted the light to turn green fast enough so that I wouldn't have to keep ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by arathi
- Jan 1, 2014
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Saeed-ji: Fakir, Mechanic and Believer in Humanity
Anna, a beautiful soul in Delhi writes about an encounter with a Saeed Ji - a man who lives on the street, but blessed with a heart of gold. At first sight he was almost invisible, curled into a spot between the black painted railings that fronted the tomb and the trunk of a low hanging Ashoka tree. Most mornings he was to be found here, wrapped in a long black anorak, knees pulled to his chest as he looked into the distance. There was something captivating about him: an unmistakable sense of dignity, yet a sadness too. "Society today is destroyed. They say it’s developed, but we don’t care about each other. A lot of people see me and probably think: 'He’s just a footpath man, or a beggar, why should I talk to him?' But society has it wrong. We need more insaniyat, more humanship — 'humanity', as you say. ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Anna De Costa
- Mar 29, 2014
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10 Simple Inspirational Ways of Thinking About Life
10 Simple, Inspirational Ways of Thinking About Life The poet William Blake once wrote that “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is– infinite.” Our outlook determines our worldview – and when we choose to view and think about life positively, we discover possibilities we previously might have missed. It only takes a small reminder to open our eyes to the wonder of each day on our planet – and with that thought in mind, here are ten simple reminders to live with happiness and peace during all seasons of life. 1. The best things in life aren’t things. The best things are the people, the places, and the memories we encounter on our journey. 2. Our actions might be the only inspiration for someone today. One small gesture of kindness can create a world of difference for another person. 3. A ship is safe in harbor… but that’s ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by seasoul12
- May 7, 2014
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Vision For A Free Hospital
I entered medical school in 1967 to use medicine as a vehicle for social change. I used my free time to study the history of health care delivery around the world and to look at contemporary models with the idea of creating a medical model that would address all the problems of the way care is delivered. I didn't intend to create a model that would be the answer to the problems; but to model creative problem solving, and to spark each medical facility to design their own ideal rather than succumb to the garbage of managed care, or a resignation to the impossibility of humanistic care. Beginning in the climate of the political "war on poverty," I felt confident that a free hospital to serve the poorest state, West Virginia, would find easy funding and that we would be built in four years. I smile writing this as we ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Patch Adams
- Dec 22, 2007
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How to Avoid a Mugging
How could I have avoided being mugged in a subway stairwell a few weeks ago? I could have used another subway entrance, one that was not so empty and silent in the middle of a beautiful spring day. I suppose I also could have listened to that small twinge in my gut when I passed an angry-looking man on my way in. And of course I could have taken more martial arts classes, and maybe reacted faster when I heard him running back down the stairs behind me. I might have been able to jump out of the way before he shoved me with both hands down the stairs. But then what? So what if I had somehow evaded that instance of violence? Yes, I'd be happier without a broken wrist, black eye, and bump on my head. And I will do those things that will in the short term make ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Liz
- May 5, 2008
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Pano's Basement in Bosnia
It was the early 1990s. During the bleak years of the Bosnian war, the Serbian Army surrounded the city seeking it's surrender and the expulsion of all non-Serbians. The residents, with a minimal volunteer and civilian militia, were unorganized but mounted a spectacularly brave defense. From around the world, many people converged to help them. It was an almost magnetic pull to serve a valiant and vulnerable expression of our human experience. I was one amongst those who came. Fueled by Hemingway and feeling much like the Spanish Civil War, international brigade volunteers were driving ambulances around town. And yet it was resident foreigners who were causing the most distress in their hurry to leave the besieged city. The strong passports allowed most to escape the darkest days, and to sojourn on the Dalmation coast filling their memoirs with a few notes, before going home. A few of us, though, stayed during ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by hopeful
- Aug 19, 2008
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An Invisible Gift of a Brochure
It was in the early 1970s that I was employed by Rockwell in Downey on the space shuttle program. The pressure to produce was intense with constant demands to meet schedules with teams of people of disparate skills and motivation. I had been involved in the Gurdjieff work for a short time and was beginning to experience a bit of the calm that comes from the meditation practice. At lunch time, my habit was to walk around the area adjacent to the test facility. One day while so occupied, I came across a small strip mall that had a space rented to a branch of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation organization. Having a bit of curiosity about the technique, I entered the facility and spoke with a pleasant and slightly plump young woman who appeared to be quite calm. Although it was not my interest to sign up for the courses ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by jdurbin
- Jul 20, 2009
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How Far One Small Act of Kindness Can Go
When I first heard about Smile Cards through my pseudo room-mate, I thought it was a brilliantly novel idea - making someone smile and then asking them to do the same for one more person. I tried tagging some people with the cards and only then realised that it is tougher for us by nature to really do something nice. But then once you start, our own expectation rises and what we would have considered nice early on would then become a norm, and thus challenging oneself to go beyond that. I then got the opportunity to ship these Smile Cards to other people like me who wanted to share the smiles. I thought this would be great to do because not only was I 'volunteering' my time, I was also helping make a difference without leaving the confines of my four walls, and so I jumped on the idea. ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by SS
- Oct 15, 2009
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The Improbable Dance
In a Chinese modern dance competition on TV one very unique couple won one of the top prizes. The lady, in her 30's, was a dancer who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in life, she lost her entire left arm in an accident and fell into a state of depression for a few years. Someone then asked her to coach a children's dancing group. From that point on, she realized that she could not forget dancing. She still loved to dance and wanted to dance again. So, she started to do some of her old routines, but, having lost her arm, she had also lost her balance. It took a while before she could even make simple turns and spins without falling. Then she heard of a man in his 20s who had lost a leg in an accident. He had also fallen into the usual denial, depression ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by Brandy
- Aug 17, 2010
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The Gift of the Magi
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. There was clearly nothing to do but flop down on the shabby little couch and howl. So Della did it. Which instigates the moral reflection that life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating. While the mistress of the home is gradually subsiding from the first stage to the second, take a look at the home. A furnished flat at $8 per week. It did not exactly beggar description, but it certainly had that word on the lookout for the ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by O. Henry
- Dec 4, 2010
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8 Real Life Super Heroes Who Saved the Day
1. Daughter lifts a car from her dad's chest and saves his life. When Lauren Kornack, 22, found her father Alec, 52, pinned beneath his car in their garage, she knew she had to act fast. According to CNN, her superhuman powers kicked in as she lifted the 2,000 pound car from his chest and pulled him out from underneath. A trained lifeguard, Lauren immediately performed CPR in order to get his heart beating again. According to Kristen Kornacki, Lauren's sister, Alec had been working on the car when the jack holding it up slipped. Lauren found him stuck beneath the car, unresponsive. Though he suffered broken ribs, numbness and fractures, Alec suffered no permanent physical damage thanks to Lauren's astounding strength. 2. Little boy learns the alphabet and uses it to help save father's life. Nathaniel Dancy Jr., 5, had recently learned the alphabet at school when his father suffered a stroke and had an ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by anonymous
- Jun 29, 2013
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Family Hosts 200 Homeless People for Dinner After Daughter's Wedding Gets Called Off
When an engaged couple calls off the wedding, it is usually a time of sadness and anger. But one family in Atlanta found a way to turn a terrible situation into a beautiful one. Carol and Willie Fowler's daughter Tamara was set to get married at the Villa Christina catering hall, when the wedding was called off just 40 days before the event. Initially the Fowlers were upset to hear that the lavish gathering they had planned and paid for was not going to happen. Then they had a genius and generous idea: They invited 200 of the city's homeless to feast on the four-course meal that would have been part of Tamara's wedding reception. The Fowler family called Elizabeth Omilami from the Hosea Feed the Hungry organization for her help in getting the group together. At first Omilami thought she was being pranked! Carol Fowler said that even daughter Tamara ... Read Full Story >>
- Posted by jojo
- Sep 26, 2013
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Mom's Dinners in Sierra Leone
When I was growing up in Sierra Leone, Sunday dinners were special. My mom would spend hours making delicious food for dinner and the mouth-watering aroma would fill the house.
In between games, my siblings and I would anxiously check the kitchen to see if dinner was ready. When dinner was done, my mom filled several baskets of food for various families in the neighborhood.
Of course, we wanted to eat first and then deliver the baskets. But my mom would gently insist that we first deliver the food and when we got back, we could all sit down and eat dinner. She pointed out that if we waited to deliver the food after we had dinner, the food we delivered would be cold.
In a simple way, she taught us that giving is not just for when it’s convenient.
- Posted by Zelene
- Feb 3, 2007
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