How to be kind on world kindness day

This Saturday it's World Kindness Day

WHAT IS KINDNESS?

Philospher and psychologist Piero Ferrucci says kindness is composed of 7 ingredients:

Empathy
Understand a friend, see his point of view instead of answering with anger or impatience.

Modesty
Be humble with your friends, listen to them instead of boasting about your successes.

Patience

Connections are more important than gaining three minutes. Think about this next time you impatiently stand in line at the supermarket.

Generosity

Offer an object, a feeling, a thought, time. It allows you to go from owning to the pleasure to be with your friends.

Respect

Listen to the other without judgment. Accept his point of view even if it's different from yours. It gives the other the space he deserves. Without this respect, kindness remains superficial.

Loyalty

It forms the base of constant solid relationship with those we love. Being loyal allows you to be in line with yourself and to keep our word.

Gratitude

Measure the chance you have to be healthy, thank your loved ones to be there for you,... Gratitude allows you to feel content with what you have and are without taking it for granted. Gratitude nourishes the sensation of plenitude and softens our regrets and frustrations.

BEING KIND IS GOOD FOR YOU

1. It makes you happy.
2. It reinforces your immune system (check out research of Heartmath)
3. It improves the performances of others (The Art of being kind)
4. It relieves pain (The Healing Power of Doing Good)
5. It gives pleasure (Healthy Pleasures)
6. It is motivating.
7. It is contagious (The Art of being kind)

PRACTICE KINDNESS TODAY

1. Distribute coffee or tea in the street (to the homeless, the mailman, the paperboy...)
   
2. Organize a fundraiser for a charity.
   
3. Bring flowers to someone you like.
   
4. Thank the teacher of your child with a little gift.
   
5. Leave a big tip to the waiter and leave a note of thanks.
   
6. Invite a neighbor or lonely elder for dinner.
   
7. Write to someone you have lost touch with or are angry with.
   
8. At the hospital, visit those who get no visitors.
   
9. Put some coins into the snack dispenser with a post-it that says 'Enjoy'.
   
10. Play 'I noticed': observe your colleagues, friends and notice their new outfits, haircuts etc and compliment them.

For more ideas, visit:

Acts of Kindness
World Kindness Movement

Read more...

Life is the only real counselor; wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissue -- Edith Wharton

A moving tribute to the vision of wisdom from some of the greatest minds of the 21st century.

Read more...

Love is...

Couple therapist Harville Hendrix has established 10 rules that allow us to advance on the road to true love.

1. Realize that our love relationship has a hidden agenda: heal both our childhood wounds


2. Try to approach the truth of our partner by getting rid of our illusions and projections


3. Communicate our needs and desires to our partner


4. Make sure we 'build' our relationship and work at it every day


5. Understand that the desires and needs of our partner are as important as our own


6. Learn to know our dark side in order not to project it on our partner


7. Have confidence in the other and abandon our self destructive tactics


8. Find in ourselves the strengths and aptitudes that we are missing and no wait for the other to fill or complete them


9. Love unconditionally


10. Accept the difficulty of true love

Read more...

The love we give away is the only love we keep - Elbert Hubbard

Today is Valentine's Day. The day of all lovers. The day that people say I love you, give gifts and write poems.

I am wondering...do we need a special day for that?

I find Valentine's day a cheesy invention, commercial trap and rip off. Everything is at least twice as expensive on Valentine's day. All Valentine's gifts seem to be made of corny messages, tatty animals, cutesy hearts and cloying objects. Yuk! I wouldn't want one of those.

My other half agrees with me and we don't do anything special on this day. We say I love you when we feel it, not because there is a special day on which you're supposed to say it. We give (non-tacky) gifts for no special occasion or reason.

Still... I am a bit of a romantic. And I don't like the feeling of being left out. Consequently, even if I hate to admit it, I guess I'd be happily perplexed if my other half surprised me with a little something, even if it were a bit tacky :-)

Read more...

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? - Milton Berle

Before I was a Mom

I slept as late as I wanted and never worried about how late I got into bed. I slept all night and nothing could wake me.

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys. I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous, my cleaning products stored away properly or my medicine cabinet locked.

Before I was a Mom

I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on (except for this once, by my friend Lucy's firstborn), chewed on, or peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests…or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put it down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom

I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known The warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

Before I was a Mom

I didn't realize how much time I had. I didn't know how to cook fresh vegetables. I didn't know many lyrics to lullabies. I didn't know I was this strong and patient. I did'nt know how to run on autopilot.

Before I was a Mom

I thought I understood people with kids - I didn't. I used to feel slightly alienated with couples that had kids. I used to babysit occasionally and was happy to return the kids to their rightful owners.

Before I was a Mom

I used to go see a play, a movie. I used to say I'd still be doing this or that even if I had kids. I used to meet with my single friends.

Before I was a Mom

I did not understand my parents.

Read more...