Such powerful wisdom. If she can see it, most should be able to!
Author Archives: devannh
Paying it Forward 10 Fold
This good do-er has been paying it forward for 40+ years… WOW!!!
Making Friends
I agree!
You can gain more friends by being yourself than you can by putting up a front.
You can gain more friends by building people up than you can by tearing them down.
And you can gain more friends by taking a few minutes from each day to do something kind for someone, whether it be a friend or a complete stranger.
What a difference one person can make!
By : Sasha Azevedo
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- #65 Create a book of mini quotes (coffeewithdave.com)
Impossible?
“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.” – Christopher Reeve
What is impossible? Flying to the moon, is that impossible?
Equality for slaves or women, or minorities. Is that impossible.
What about to harness electricity so that with a flip of a switch, we can power up or light up anything. Is that impossible?
What about flying way above the earth; defying gravity. Impossible?
ALL of these things were once impossible. I am sure that at one point, anyone and everyone would have thought someone was insane to ever think any of these things would become possible.
But here we are. All of these things are possible. All of these things are accepted as life and/or a simple certainty.
Yes, some of the equality issues are based on whom you ask, but overall, it IS REALITY.
So when we think of kindness defeating negative, why is that so daunting? It’s clearly possible. It happens every day. It happens all over the world.
Some feel like its too big a task; therefor, feeling defeated before they even try. Why does it need to be difficult? Why does it need to be so daunting?
When it becomes a part of your every day life, it just IS REALITY.
There will always be the negative trying to remove this reality, but kindness can and will prevail.
I envision a world where it’s the norm to give and recieve acts of kindness. Where negative is shunned and kindness is celebrated. Where it is more typical for the news to broadcast good than evil.
It all sounds so “impossible” but really, I am sure that the slaves running from entrapment or the women being overlooked because of her gender also thought a reality like this was impossible too.
If you really put things into perspective and see how much things can change, not much is left to seem impossible.
“In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.” – Miguel de Cervantes
Flowers for Kindness
This is such a creative act of kindness idea that I absolutely love and will be doing in the future!
Truly amazing.
Floré Fine Flowers —- A European-style eco-friendly floral design studio in Woodbury helping to build community of kindness with “Random Acts of Kindness” Campaign
Lori Friedlander, Newtown resident and Woodbury business entrepreneur and proprietor, has launched a “Random Acts of Kindness Campaign”. The idea, first presented to Ms. Friedlander by a fellow florist in Minnesota, immediately struck a chord. “The concept of the campaign lies in the popular premise of “Pay It Forward”. Do one act of kindness, big or small, and ask others to do the same. When you receive an act of kindness, pay it forward. It only takes one person to impact someone’s life”, she commented.
As sponsor of this campaign, Floré Fine Flowers, located at 710 Main Street South/Middle Quarter Mall in Woodbury, CT, will send each week a “Traveling Kindness Bouquet” to different local businesses and nursing homes around the Woodbury, Southbury and Newtown areas. The bouquet is accompanied by a card that asks the recipient to enjoy the flowers for one hour and then pass them on to someone else who could use a little joy. “Additionally, each bouquet will feature eco-friendly flowers with a small message about the importance of eco-friendly flowers, so not only will the flowers make you feel good, you can feel good that these flowers came from farms that are doing their part to be socially and environmentally responsible. It is our way to pay back the growers for the efforts they are making to make our natural and their workplace environment a better place”.
Attorney Rick Richardson of Giuliano & Richardson LLC in Woodbury, the first business to receive a bouquet from Floré Fine Flowers responded, “I just passed along the bouquet. What a thoughtful, beautiful and inspiring gesture for you to have started. I have told my wife, and will tell my daughters, about this example of a random act of kindness paid forward.”
Ms. Friedlander hopes that her efforts and this campaign will encourage others to spread kindness as well. “Random acts of kindness can be simple, and don’t need to cost anything. Something as simple as smiling to a stranger can brighten their day. Share your time. Volunteer. Encourage someone. Call someone just because. Share a kind word. Plug a meter. Pick up the tab of a stranger. Send a gift certificate to someone at random” she suggested.
“As a florist,” she added, “I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the power of randomly sending flowers to spread some joy. Think of the carpool mom, scout leader, local volunteer, best friend, camp counselor, lifeguard, pet-sitter, your hair stylist who squeezes you in a pinch, or anyone who makes an everyday difference in your life. A surprise bouquet is a convenient, informal way to say “Thanks for making my life easier.”
Ms. Friedlander will strive to spread word of the campaign throughout the community. “I’m inviting everyone to share their stories of random acts of kindness they have performed or received”. Anyone who would like to participate can visit Floré’s website at http://www.flowersasmedicine.com and send in their stories through the website’s “Guest Book” page.
Floré Fine Flowers is a European-style flower market featuring eco-friendly floral designs arranged with exquisite artistry for weddings, events, holidays and everyday occasions. Conveniently nestled in Woodbury’s Middle Quarter Mall, Floré Fine Flowers is just minutes from exit 15, Route 84 at 710 Main Street South in Woodbury, Connecticut. They can be contacted by telephone at (203) 405-1760 or visit their website at http://www.flowersasmedicine.com.
Read the original article here
Feeding the Hungry
Watch this video from a story featured on CNN- What an inspirational story and selfless man!
Craigslist Joe
I watched the documentary called “Craigslist Joe” this evening. All I can say is “wow!”
Joe spends 31 days, no money, no food, only the clothes on his back, passport, and a computer and phone ONLY for connecting with Craigslist people.
He takes us on a journey over the 31 days starting in L.A. and travels to the East Coast and back (even stopping in Mexico) all from the help of others. He is fed, clothed, and sheltered. He is invited to people’s homes’ and their lives out of pure kindness.
Out of 31 days, he is only left 1 night without somewhere to sleep and after the first day, never left without food for an entire day.
I really encourage you to check out this documentary. I think it can open up your mind to a whole new world we may have thought doesn’t exists anymore.
While I am not ready to answer ads on Craigslist, and caution others to do so with careful alertness (I have to say that), I am in awe at the amazing people Joe met on his journey.
“WOW!”
Thank You Ted
A few months ago I had mentioned to a friend how running had changed my life. How learning to run last summer and dedicating myself to it since then has shown me who I am and how strong I am. How it has taught me to live “mind over matter”. How it has made me so much happier.
She agreed but said she thought it had a lot more to do with the “caring project” than I gave credit for.
I knew that I was passionate about this project and I knew that it gave me happy feelings each time I performed an act of kindness, but overall, I still attributed my new found self confidence to the running.
Then I watched the documentary “Happy” and learned that you have to learn to be happy. That you can change your brain make -up by living a certain way.
This latest clip I watched confirms what my friend had said; “Happy” confirms what my friend had said.
It feels so amazing when I see these things and know that I am living proof that it works.
Living with a positive outlook= happiness= success
NOT
Hard work= success= happiness
How do we go about focusing on this; changing our mindset?
I really encourage you to watch this clip from Ted Talks that a friend shared with me (Thanks Brian). He is funny as heck, and it really drives home what the “Caring Project” is all about.
Why Would I?
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” – Mother Teresa
I have tried to think of how to write this post for some time. How do you motivate people to take some time and thought to help another?
People are busy and overwhelmed and short on time in their busy lives. Why would anyone want to take extra time to think about helping someone else out?
Anyone who knows me has seen the transformation that has taken place in my life since I started the “Caring Project”. By taking time, an intentional thought process, to care for others as well as doing acts of kindness for myself daily, my value of life has improved 100% in such a short time.
The key is the intentional thought process. Setting out to stay alert for opportunities to do good deeds as well as things I am grateful for, has somehow taught my brain to work in a different way. This scientific method and my thoughts on it are mentioned in my Happy post and I am walking proof of such.
When you set out to be alert, commit to do something kind for someone, you can’t help but to start living in a more kind and meaningful way. When you are trying to find someone to cheer up or do something nice for, you tend to be… Nice.
Clearly I was nice before, but it’s a ripple effect. You treat people with extra kindness, purposeful kindness, and it makes you feel good. Because you feel good, you want to be extra friendly to someone else.
Soon, the endorphins released in your brain start to hang around a little longer.
One of my first posts on here was about there not really being anything such as a truly selfless deed and this is why. When you do something nice and/or make someone smile, you can’t help but feel good yourself. It’s inescapable.
Less than a year ago, I suffered from random depression episodes.
With the help of taking more care of myself and taking care of other people, I have not only NOT had a depression episode in many, many months, I wake up each morning with a clear sense of purpose that wasn’t there before.
What if, for one week, instead of saying “I’m too busy with my life to help someone else” you said, “I’m going to take two seconds to help someone else and see where it gets me”? Then set out to give an extra smile or pay an extra compliment, acknowledge extra gratitude, and maybe even buy a cup of coffee for a stranger.
Even looking to do one of these 2 second gestures a day is enough to start the “Caring Project” in your mind and heart.
“Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
― Mother Teresa
Thinking of the entire project as a whole can be overwhelming. But thinking about giving an extra smile or thank you is easy. The point is making it intentional. Keeping it in your mind.
I want to challenge you to this simple one week task. If at the end of the one week, you want to continue to two weeks, great! The reward of feel good endorphins are addicting and contagious. When you have the desire to move onto a bit larger act of kindness, something maybe a little more out of your comfort zone, you will know what to do. Moving into bigger things doesn’t need to be a burden or forced, the desire to do so will just come naturally.
I post daily inspiration,
most of which cost little to nothing to complete, on our Facebook page as well. I post many small things that can be done anonymously if your shy, which I can be.
This entire project is supposed to be fun and enhance your life, not make it harder. It really doesn’t take much to start changing your world or the world around you, just smile-intentionally…
if EVERYONE cared 
