A Slice Of Kindness Is Always a Good Thing

Copyright January 2006 Housewife Mafia

There was a "preacher" who used to walk the streets of Lima Ohio every day and he had done so for
over 50 years, for years he walked miles into town to do this despite the weather. Always standing on
the corners telling of God's love. In the middle of winter he would be downtown smiling and waving at
the people going by.

One day while skipping school outside a little deli, I watched a business man order a sub. He took it
over and gave it to the preacher. The preacher despite being poor and elderly and most likely hungry
himself, thanked the man but as he walked away, the preacher handed it to an homeless man, telling
him "God bless you". Its been ten years and the old preacher pasted away a few years ago. But I
remember that day. And the lesson I learned.

How hard would it be for us to be wonderful too?

Examples of how an ordinary person like you or I can practice kindness are endless,
including:

Visiting a neighbour who you have lived near for so long, and never met

Buying a sandwich for a homeless person, or simply stopping and asking how they are

Giving total and undivided attention to anther human being

Letting a car turn out of a junction, or out of their home

Recording your partner’s favourite songs onto tape or cd

Starting a happy book at home, recording all the good things that happen to you and your family –

your achievements as well as your plans

Send only lovely, positive and inspiring e-mails for one day!

Men – lending the TV remote control to your partner for one day

Working in a charity shop, or on a charity project, for one day
Cutting the grass for an elderly neighbour

Asking if someone you know is ok – and really listening to their answer

Mentally forgive someone from your past – cover yourself in purple, welcome them in to your
mind, acknowledge them, say to yourself “I choose peace over this” and let them go

Give your child, or a young person, total time and attention for just one hour (at a time of their
choosing!)

Clear litter from your street

Donate “stuff” to your local charity shop

Let someone go first, if they look in more need than you, onto a train, in a queue or whatever

Give total and absolute, unconditional love, to your pet – hold them and speak with them while
looking into their eyes

Read a book to someone who is blind, or to your children

Listen to your teenager’s music and accept that it sounds great to them – and learn the name of
the band – you will be cool, they will appreciate it (but won’t way so!)

Make the tea, empty the dishwasher, do something round the home you would not normally do

Be with your partner – really be, come home to each other, and talk about all of the joys and
happiness you have together – simply let go, with each other

Only say nice things about your work colleagues, behind their backs

Recycle

Take your magazines to your local doctors, dentists or vets

Tell someone they are amazing, that they have a potential deep inside them that is astounding

Write a poem for someone you love, or a friend

Visit a special place with a special person

Visit a friend in hospital – this time with no eyes on the clock, while you are there say hi to people
who don’t get many visitors

Say “hello” to other people on the train or tube. Make a comment about the weather, start a
conversation!

Say “hello” to people you pass in the corridor at work, or if you are out for a walk or a run

Send a “Happy Just One Day” message to your friends and say how much you appreciate them

Stay late the night before to clear your workload and then next day ask out loud: “Does anyone
need any help with anything?”

Clear out toys and books at home and bring them to work for other people to browse through
and take away

Do something to make the office special where there is irritation – clean the kitchen, empty the
bins, straighten the pictures, wipe the desks

Ring or visit relatives you don’t often speak too and make them feel special

Help someone who is struggling with luggage, shopping bags

Spend time with a friend to help them – with spring cleaning, shopping cooking together,
cleaning the car – it’s more fun for both of you

Fix the date for seeing someone you keep saying you will see

Support a fund raising event for a charity which has nothing to do with you – eg local school fete
– where you don’t know any children

Have some friends round for a soup lunch and donate the cost of a pub lunch to charity

Get to know and like a friends special pet that you find difficult

For one day – don’t leave it to someone else – reporting litter problems, spills in the
supermarket, change the toilet roll, refill things yourself

Just for once, treat business colleagues as if you really are all on the same team!

Offer your skills to your local school or community centre rather than selling them to customers

Buy a small bunch of flowers and give it to the first person you meet in the street that looks a little
down

Being thankful is great. But sometimes we need to also verbally express it.

Peace starts at home, within each of us. Even international events are affected by the
willingness of individuals to be (or not to be) kind and considerate. Gandhi and Hitler are two notable
examples. No doubt others come to mind.

When someone seems to have acted unkindly, or hurt your feelings, or offended you in some way,
consider the fact that there just might be more to it than is apparent. Maybe they are acting
in response to circumstances you are completely unaware of. Any of a number of other things may be
affecting them, such as shyness, stress overload, health, money, illness or loss of some kind. Or there
might have been some mis-communication so that expectations were not in sync.

Instead of lashing out, or reacting instinctively in a negative way, resolve to just try being the
good guy here. Create an opportunity to be kind. Extend yourself, and evoke your higher nature. See
yourself as resourceful, serene, refined, confident, and just BE NICE. It feels good! And it is
contagious.

Maybe The best way we can incorporate this idea in to our lives
so it becomes an unconscious part of us, is to practice.

Just like everything else,
practice makes perfect.

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