Kindness

One of my favorite escapist action movies is Sword Fish. John Travolta (Gabriel) is the good baddie, the villain on a mission to change the world. Hugh Jackman (Stanley) is the bad goodie, the lovable rogue caught up in Travolta’s schemes. At one point Gabriel saves Stanley’s life but wants to keep him under his ... Continue Reading »

The owner of a small wine-shop in a poor district of Tokyo had to be a tough man, with many people trying to swindle a free drink out of him. It was the end of the year, when debts have to be settled. Those who  collected the money owing, spend some of it on drink; those ... Continue Reading »

I don’t know who said this, but would like to meet him/her. Awesome words: I love unmade beds. I love when people are drunk and crying and cannot be anything but honest in that moment. I love the look in people’s eyes when they realize they’re in love. I love the way people look when ... Continue Reading »

The image of 8 year old Martin Richard holding a handmade sign saying, “No more hurting people- Peace” pretty well broke my heart. To think that he was killed while eating ice cream at the finish line of the Boston Marathon is almost too much to bear. The image of a group of Syrians standing ... Continue Reading »

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard ... Continue Reading »

A cab driver was called to a building at 2.30 in the morning. The driver walked to the door and knocked. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80′s stood before him. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody ... Continue Reading »

Simple really. Just notes. Notes tucked into books. His idea, all his. An afternoon of errands. Dull, boring, mindless endless jobs “Just running in” He waited in the car with his thoughts. “Right, library next’ I bustle checking things off. Not quite done. He sat with scraps of paper on his lap. Notes to somebody. ... Continue Reading »

Zig Ziglar said, “Every obnoxious act is a cry for help.” Wow! What an amazing way to reframe being attacked. It’s not easy, mind you, in the heat of the moment. But imagine how different life would be if we lived with that sort of compassion. About twenty five years ago, I was physically attacked ... Continue Reading »

Break through the thick ice of hostility. You might discover lifelong friendship on the other side. Kindness is the best ice breaker. It thaws the frostiest reception and creates space for warmth and depth. It melts fear and defensiveness and blazes a trail for kindness to return and spread.

Light up the world with kindness. Assist others to shine for the sheer joy in their joy. Pass on your love and support to those who need a boost, with no string attached, just because it’s who you are. Live like the moon which alley-oop’s light onto the world and never expects payback and never ... Continue Reading »

This is the third part in a series on living a good, true and beautiful life. What is goodness? Is it separate from truth and beauty? Is it just good for you or others as well?  MLK put it like this- I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ... Continue Reading »

  Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness. ... Continue Reading »

This is the fourth part in a series on taking the masks off and living authentically. The first article is about the power of authenticity. The second is about authenticity’s payoff. The third offers practical steps to live more authentically. This fourth piece is about the connection between living authentically and the needs of the ... Continue Reading »

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” — Dalai Lama We learn to deepen our compassion through understanding that we are all here doing the best with the tools and skills we have at the time. Most of us handle life much differently than we ... Continue Reading »

This article is reposted from Alan’s site. Do you have any doubt that you can be everything you want to be?  Do you believe you are limited by your history, genetics, karma, or any other factor?  If so, take heart. Your destiny far outshines your history. Scientists tell us that dogs evolved from the wolf. ... Continue Reading »