Photo by: Monseteca
“All you have shall some day be given;
Therefore give now, that the season of giving
may be yours and not your inheritors.”
We just got done being thankful for all that we have, ate good delicious meals and celebrated! But when was the last time we thought about giving away some of what we have? Giving, without expecting something in return?
I used to volunteer at breast cancer walks, heart walks and autism walks but haven’t done that in some time now. Life gets in the way and it is easy to forget to do those things that we don’t depend upon for our daily living.
If you need some inspiration to do something of that nature, head over to Zen Habits and read what Leo Babauta has to say. Leo has a way of moving and inspiring you with his down to earth, straight forward, heart felt writings. Many times, I go over to his blog to simply spend a few minutes browsing through different subjects he writes on and pick the one that resonates with my mood that very moment and come away with a sense of rejuvenation and fulfillment.
Today he has a post on his faith in humanity and how he believes each of us can do our own share “to bring out the best in people, to have them help each other” and bring back the warmth and sense of togetherness in this otherwise seemingly falling apart world. Leo has already started the process of paying his random act of kindness forward by offering free copies of his latest Zen to Done eBook. Another part of his act of kindness is that he will link to any site that writes about their own act of kindness in the real world and how they plan to pay it forward.
I thank Leo for the inspiration and providing me with that much needed push to ask myself today ‘what do I have that I can give to people?“.
As I ask myself this question, a lot of possibilities come to mind like volunteering at a local charity, going to the senior center and just spending time with one of them and bringing smiles to their faces. But many people shy away from volunteering because it takes time, and many times a lot of us start having doubts as to where the money is going, and how it is being spent. Well, there are numerous ways to help others and bring a little joy.
Here is a beautiful inspirational site where you can find how others are spreading joy and bringing smiles in someone else’s life. I loved reading some of the ideas here!
The site lists some kindness ideas to think about:
Service: donate to a cause, as a holiday gift for your best friend.
Affection: be generous with hugs, kisses and pats on the back.
Laughter: clip cartoons, share funny stories.
Written note: send a ‘thank you’ note, write a letter to an old friend.
Compliment: a simple ‘you look great today’, a sincere ‘thank you for a wonderful meal’.
Listening: no interrupting, no daydreaming, no responding, just listening.
Solitude: spend some time in silence, help others spend some time in silence.
And as I spent some time thinking about other people’s acts of kindness towards me, I can’t forget how helpful and full of compassion some of the hospital nurses were when my mother had triple bypass surgery. There were times when the whole family would be down with overwhelming feelings helplessness and the nursing staff’s caring and compassion would keep our hopes alive. So, I have decided to go to the local hospital this weekend and bring flowers to some of the patients as well as the nursing staff, anonymously.
And I hope I can make it a regular zen habit!
How about you? Do you feel you have something that you can share with others and make them feel happier? How do you plan on paying kind acts forward?
Mig
Do you have any idea what you’ve been giving me in the past 3-4 weeks? You make a difference and you are too modest to see it!