It is amazing how another year has flown by so very quickly. Yup, I will hit the big 57 on Dec. 13th..
For any that may have followed the blog for a while or read back, I am sure you can guess what is coming next. Yup, you guessed it, I am brazenly, flat out asking for birthday gifts. Now I am I am even going as far as to ask for a specific gift. What is this specific gift I am asking for.
I am asking every one to perform a random act of kindness. I know everyone performs countless acts of kindness on a daily basis inspite of our hectic lives. Most such acts we just sort of stumble upon, perform and carry on without a second thought. This is wonderful.
What I am asking is for everyone to specifically look for and then perform just one more. For whom the act is performed doesn’t matter, the size of or even what the act is doesn’t matter, that amount of time it may take doesn’t matter.
What matters most to me is that we carry in us an awareness of looking for opportunities to help another. Speaking for myself, I know I spent most of my life very self absorbed, so busy trying to get through my own day that I so often failed to even notice those around me. There is a wonderful world out there. We just need to see past our own little worlds to see this wonderful world around us. Contained withing the hearts of people all around the world is so much love, so much kindness, it is beyond anything we could measure. The love the kindness is there we just have to find a way to put it to use. Love and kindness are like renewable resources, the amount available is unending, we just need to put it to use.
A dear blogging friend Cat left this quote in a recent comment. It pretty much does say it all:
Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.
~Sally Koch
It is these “SMALL” ones that I am asking all to be on the watch for. Could any act of kindness ever be considered too small to be bothered with? NO!!!!!!! We can never know how even the smallest act may impact on another. There are millions of example, here is but one. You are having a work related discussion with a coworker. You can sense the coworker is struggling or feeling down.If our minds and hearts are open to it, our eyes will see such situations. Now as this conversation ends, how long would it take to say just even 4 or 5 encouraging or supportive words, a couple of seconds.Those few seconds wouldn’t disrupt even the busiest day and again we can never really know the impact those words may have on the other person.
At the top of this page is a row of titles, each of these represent a different page I have set up to accompany this the main blog. Please click on the one titled “spirit within me”. Here I ask people to put 5 minutes a week into their busy schedules. Now I don’t care how busy your life is if you honestly feel you can’t fit in 5 minutes a week you are fooling yourself.
Why am I asking for these acts of kindness? There are 4 reasons.
The first is obvious. You have lighten the load, brightened the day of the one you have helped.
Second, To me, just as importantly or even more importantly you have helped yourself.How have you helped yourself? The acts of kindness I am asking for are ones that come from the heart. No reward or recognition is expected or wanted and will even be declined if offered. We leave that situation with such a warm glow in our hearts. We leave it knowing, “I just did something, not because I had to, not because it was expected of me. I did it just because I was there and I wanted to, I am a good person.” This warm glow in your heart is the nicest feeling you can have. It actually grows and increases with each sucsessive act. I grow inside as a person as I come to realize I am a good person. Please give it a try.
Third, I ask you all to leave me a comment here on the blog telling us all of your act, no matter how big or small it may have seemed to you. Why? Reading the acts of others may inspire each of us to do the same. Plant the seed of an idea, like, “hey I could do that, I just never even thought of it.
Fourth, I ask that the comments be left for a very personal and selfish reason. I will make me feel good.
Dying mans daily journal 
What a great idea – from the last time you asked for this I had decided to ask for the same thing on my birthday next year. Right now I’m trying to do an act of kindness for a stranger I met a few weeks ago – you can read about it on my blog. But I have to tell you about one I did last night. Several weeks ago a child from our neighborhood caught my husband outside working in the yard and sold him a box of doughnuts (to be delivered in the future) for a school fund-raiser. Well he came running up to the door last night with that box of doughnuts which I took and then held back out to him saying “Would you like to eat these doughnuts?” “Oh yes ma’am” he said and the light was just shining in his eyes. So I told him to take them home with him – that we liked being able to help his school but certainly didn’t need the doughnuts. Now while I’m not sure his parents were going to be too pleased – he sure lit up! LOLOLOL In any event, I’ll try to think of a good one on your birthday and let you know what it was.
#227,271
Just–for my own reference.
13th–random act of kindness.
You’re wearing me out, Bill! LOL BUT–seeings how it’s you doing the asking, I’m game!
I do hope you’re feeling better and that the tests went well.
And dang…..the whole BOX of donuts?! Wish I lived next door to Jill!!! 😉
Be safe, stay well, sir!
*hugs*
Dear Bill,
Sure hope the test results are not disappointing. I’m thinking about you and praying for some help for you.
I’m weary Bill. Work has got the upper hand of me and my soul is troubled. There are cobwebs in my head and left-over ghosts and it’s awful dark in there!! I’m looking for the light but it seems so far away and oh so small. Calling all angels…Hence, my random act of kindness well is feeling a little dry right now. Perhaps mustering up one will help me feel better–is that the height of selfishness or what???!!!!
Take care, Wiseman.
Irene
Jill:
I too bought the doughnuts (3 boxes) on the condition that the girl selling them would give them away to someone else when delivery time rolled around. [I’m
allergic to wheat but still wanted to support the seller and her school.]
Well a friend of mine had asked me to search in Google the location of foreign language learning classes available at his city . I did that for him and he thanked me .. 🙂
Okay, okay, okay…..I’m allergic to wheat too–but I STILL wish I lived next door to Jill.
And to Planetcity.
*laughing*
NOT that I woulda ate ’em.
Just woulda been way cool to be gifted!
k…might smelled ’em for a long time BEFORE handing them back…LOL
Mel you are too funny! I knew if I smelled them I’d be sunk!
<– now going to make a snowangel for a recovering mom who's battle with cancer has been an incredible one!
Cuz I CAN.
Cuz I know what it'd mean to me for someone to do something in my name like that.
Does that sorta kinda count?
Yeah…..well, ain't the 13th!
<– going to make the snowangel!!
Your wish is my command but I have to admit I can’t do anything these days, can’t even move my own head from side to side.
So I’ll ask my friend to perform an act of kindness and knowing him he’ll be too happy to do it.
I’ll give it a go! Happy Birthday, in advance because as you know I’m a bit sporadic these days, for 13th December.
Lots of love
BC
Sending good thoughts and prayers for Irene and Silindile Ntuli! And I will be looking for opportunities to do some random acts of kindness in honor of the birthday boy this week!
Have to admit it was less creative than I hoped…paid for the coffees behind me in the drive thru – figured most of us wouldn’t resort to mid-day coffee fixes if not for the busy season. 🙂 I am going to continue to look for something more creative but I didn’t want you to think your birthday went without notice.
Hi Jaymie, I thank you both for the birthday wishes and the act of kindness. I am sure it was appreciated and who knows maybe even passed on.