Tag Archive for: Kindness Posts

Isn’t it interesting that when your mind is focused on something you get to experience it almost immediately? Well, it sure happened to me this morning. Yesterday I issued the “Give A Little Love Kindness Challenge” so opportunities to offer kindness is my focus right now. I had a great opportunity to offer kindness and as I reflected on it, I realized there were some similarities.  Let me explain.

This morning I went to work out at the club at 6:00 AM. I finished up in time to catch my wife before she left for work but on the way home something changed that. On the opposite side of a red light, a lady in a truck was stalled. She got out of the truck, let people know behind her that the tuck wouldn’t start. When I got the green light to turn, I pull into a bank close by to see what I could do to help. As I approached her, I noticed that she had a toddler in a car seat and was worried with him being in the stalled car. I told her that I could try to push it to a side street to get it off the busy main 6 lane road.

She was very grateful someone stopped to help her but it got better. As I was standing there I saw a car pull over. 3 Hispanic guys came running over to help. With their help, we were able to push the car into the gas station and out of harms way. They drove off and we thanked them profusely. It didn’t stop there though. The lady did not have her purse with her so she did not have a phone. I let her borrow mine but didn’t connect with anyone. I then got her truck to start and offered to follow her home to make sure she and her child were safe if it stopped running again.  Then I noticed it was spraying transmission fluid. Smoke was pouring out but I also noticed it was running hot. I told her it was too much of a risk to try to drive it home.

I then offered to give her a ride home. She accepted so I went into the gas station to let them know that we were leaving it there but someone would check on it later. I could tell that the lady was about to lose it so I let her know that I had been in the same situation many times. I let her know that my wife’s car had broken down before and had to rely on strangers to help when I couldn’t get there. We talked all the way back and upon leaving, she said, “I cannot thank you enough. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come along. I wish I had something to give you.” I immediately said that even if she had, I wouldn’t have accepted it anyway. I told her that maybe the truck needs a little TLC and would be up and running in no time.

What I find interesting is that another time when I issued a Kindness Challenge, I had a kindness opportunity involving a car.  It was a flat tire that time. (See that blog post by clicking here) The funny thing is that it was also auto related.  I now know where to go to practice “automotive” kindness and maybe you can go there too. It is at the Shell gas station on 2499 and Sagebrush. Maybe I will see you there!

Kindness_Opportunity

With peace and kindness,
Bill

Today is the first day of IDontStink.com’s 28 Day Kindness Challenge.  We are challenging you to do at least one kind act each day for the next 28 days.  You can do that, right?  Easy peasy!  I will be posting some of the kind deeds that come up during the challenge and I encourage you to post your comments on your kind deeds so we all can benefit.  To get things started, I decided to practice kindness yesterday and here is the story.

Yesterday, Sunday March 2nd, we had a ice storm hit the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I was in my office working on the March Daily Positive Points when I saw my neighbor trying to get her car up her slick, ice coated driveway so she could park it in her garage. I decided right then and there to offer a hand. I went to my garage, grabbed a shovel and headed over there. After about 20 minutes of shoveling, scraping, (slipping), and freezing, we were able to get her car in the garage.  She was very grateful but I know we all would have done the same thing.  I left feeling like this was a good start to the Kindness Challenge I was launching on Monday.

Share your stories here in the comment section or send me an email via “Ask Sweetie” barrel and she will send them directly to me.
Peace and gratitude,
Bill

The is year’s Kindness Challenge is a little different than what I have offered in the past.  This year the theme is Give Half of Something.  What I mean by that is everyone has something they can give half of in the effort to do kind deeds.  It can be half the time you spend watching TV on a certain night.  It can be half of your budget for coffee in the morning.  Basically, anything you can think of that fits the bill, give half of it. So, join me today at idontstink.com and participate in the 6 week Kindness Challenge.  Give half of something, half of anything.  You CAN do it!

Don’t forget to log your kind deeds into your very own FREE Kindness Meter at idontstink.com.

With peace, gratitude, AND kindness,
Bill

This year for our annual Kindness Challenge we are going to do something a little different.  This year’s challenge is called, “Half of Something Kindness Challenge.”  The challenge will begin July 1st and run through August 30th.  The premise is that everyone can give up half of something.  Maybe you spend one hour a day playing video games.  Your challenge would be to give up half that time and do something kind during that time.  Easy right?

We will be putting more details around the challenge and encourage you to participate and tell as many people as you can about it.  Full details and how you can participate will be coming within the next few weeks.

Peace and gratitude,

Bill

bonus4Well, today marks the final day of the Kindness Challenge.  I hope that by some small way this challenge has prompted several of you to do kind deeds.  But you know what?  Just because the Kindness Challenge ended today doesn’t mean that you should stop doing kind deeds for others and yourself.  The main purpose of this challenge was to get you thinking about doing kindness consciously on a daily basis.

Come back for more post thoughts on the Kindness Challenge.

With kindness and gratitude,

Bill

Today marks the next to last day in the kindness challenge.  One question I keep asking myself is was this a successful smilechallenge?  I thought about this a lot over the past few days.  I believe my answer is that if a single person participated in the challenge and completed at least one kind deed, then yes, this was a successful challenge.

F0r me, many times I was reminded to do kind deeds because of the challenge.  By keeping kindness in my awareness it allowed me to do more kind deeds.  I suggest as you start off the new year, decide that you will spread your love with kindness to all that you meet.  Don’t reserve the kind deeds for just people you know, share them with everyone.

May you have a positive and blessed new year!

Peace, gratitude, and kindness,

Bill

DSCF0009Today is Christmas Eve and my traditional time to shop with my sister for last minute gifts.  Yesterday it was nearly 80 degrees but when we left to go shopping this afternoon, it was nearly blizzard conditions.  Unbelievable weather but we will have a WHITE CHRISTMAS here in Texas!  Sa-WEET!   Today was fill with giving.  It just makes me feel so good inside when I am able to help others and do kind things for them.  Then sometime I even get to watch as they return the favor to others.

The holiday seasons are about giving and compassion.  Let today be a reminder to start practicing it on a daily basis if you already do not.

Happy Holidays!

Bill

I ran across this quote tonight and thought I would share it with you.  I believe it captures what kindness is all about Amelia_Earhartand why we kindness challenges here at idontstink.com.  It is from Amelia Earhart and is worth thinking about:

“No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves.” – Amelia Earhart

With kindness and gratitude,

Bill

FlowerWhat am I grateful for?  Well, that one is easy!  Today marks my 24th wedding anniversary with my awesomely, beautiful wife!  She has been my inspiration, my joy, my happiness, my teacher, my love and my soulmate.  I am so grateful to have met her and I know for a fact that I would not be who I am today without her.

As we start to wrap up the challenge, take some time every single day through the end of the year to give gratitude to someone.  End your year with grace and gratitude and get ready for a fantastic 2010.

 

With peace and gratitude,

Bill

Here are some super cool kindness quotes to get you thinking for this weekend:bonus_2

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”  – Lao Tzu

 “I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.”  – Mother Teresa of Calcutta

 “Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.”  – Anonymous

  ”He who distributes the milk of human kindness cannot help but spill a little on himself.”  – James Matthew Barrie

 “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  –  Aesop (620 BC – 560 BC)

 “Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.”  – Anonymous

 “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.”  – Seneca (Mid 1st Century AD)

 “By doing simple acts of kindness for others, we can’t help but lift ourselves up.”  – Anonymous

 “Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.  Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.”  – Scott Adams

Have a SUPERFANTABULICIOUS weekend!

Bill