Go ahead. Make my day.

Do you feel like changing the world? Maybe you'd like to give some gratitude? Show some love? Be nice? Thank someone? Make a difference? Bring a little joy? How about encouraging others? Celebrating life? Perhaps doing all of these? Go ahead. Make my day!  

You may be aware that in addition to what I write here each morning, I also write a blog about kindness. It's short. Sometimes it's just a sentence or two, but it encourages me to be a kinder person, and hopefully along the way it has encouraged some of you. Sometimes I simply list some random acts of kindness that you just might want to borrow. This morning, I decided to list a whole bunch of them here. Use them as often as you like!

Make a point of finding the name of a supermarket or drugstore employee and then praise him/her through that company’s corporate office.

Tell your boss that you think he/she does a good job.

Help folks stay connected during this pandemic by making frequent phone calls.

When drivers try to merge into your lane, let them in with a wave and a smile.

Send a gift anonymously to a friend.

Tell your parents/children why you love them.

Volunteer somewhere.

Share your smile generously.

Transport someone who can’t drive.

Make telephone calls in support of equality urging others to put aside hate.

Pay a compliment at least once a day.

Give public testimony about an important civic matter.

Go through your closets and find several nice items and then donate them to a shelter.

Give your full attention to someone in need and simply listen.

Say nice things randomly to facebook and twitter friends.

Buy small bottles of hand sanitizer and randomly hand them out to strangers on the street.

Clean graffiti from neighborhood walls and buildings.

Tell a bus or taxi driver how much you appreciate their driving.

Give another driver your parking spot.

If you prefer, please feel free to make up some of your own! You might want to even tell us about some ideas you have - they are most certainly welcome in the comments section below!

Be the spark

I love it when folks post encouraging things on social media. Encouraging others, I think actually encourages ourselves. Sometimes I read a long and very profound message, and other times it is short and to the point. ("Be Kind"). There always seem to be more encouraging messages around the holidays and especially as the new year begins.  How about now though?  I think we can all use some encouragement in the summer too.

This morning as I looked at my X feed, this jumped out at me: "All it takes is a single spark to build a fire. Commit to being that spark in your community and make a difference." Wow! I couldn't have said it any better.  That's the kind of encouragement I'm talking about.

 

Be the spark.  Isn't that what we talk about here every day - being the spark? More and more I see folks agreeing, and I think this world is getting better each day!  Let's all keep encouraging each other.  Let's all keep making a difference!

In times of personal crisis

One of the most rewarding things I do is volunteer at a local hospital.  I know this blog is NOT about me, but I simply must share how good the volunteer experience is.  I see men and women from their teen years up into their senior years (there was actually a women in her mid 90s volunteering until recently) doing all sorts of tasks around the hospital.

 

Occasionally I have encountered visitors or patients crying in the hospital hallways.  The other day I saw a familiar face, a lady I have run into several times.  The very first time I saw her she asked for a hug.  Now she tells people I'm a good hugger.  This time she had tears.  Her husband is nearing the end of his life.  I listened.  I wish I could have done more.  Sometimes just quietly listening is helpful.  I saw her again a few hours later.  She was smiling,  Her husband was going home that day and the doctor had referred them to a hospice program.  I listened to her news and then we hugged again.

 

There are happy moments, like when someone is healed from injury or when a new baby is born, but all too often I meet people in times of personal crisis.  I try to help as best I can, but there are times when I don't think I have done enough.  We have a small gift shop that is staffed by volunteers.  Information is given to visitors at the front desk and at other locations by volunteers.  The other day a doctor stopped me in a hall just to say thanks.  He told me he is grateful for volunteers and all the things we do.  It's true that we do many tasks all around the hospital, but I really like being in the hallways, whether transporting a patient to be discharged, hearing a compliment from a physician, or giving a hug to a worried wife.

 

Hospitals can be difficult places, but I will keep volunteering.  I think volunteers make a difference.  It's not just what we give.  We also get such a good feeling back!

this month of August

Whether you enjoy the month of August or not depends largely on where you live, how old you are, and a number of other factors.  I know that many love it because of the vacations that so often take place this month.  I have personally always loved August because it is my birth month, but of course this is NOT about me. 

Is this a time when folks are likely to be doing those kind of inspiring things I like to write about here?  Well, indeed there may be a dip, but it doesn't have to be that way.  Doing good things should never take a holiday!

Be kind.  Do good.  Never give up.  Is it too hot?  Take good care of yourself.  Don't spend too much time in the sun and be sure to stay hydrated.  Enjoy this month of August and help others enjoy it too.

good

The world is full of good. I know that sometimes it's very hard to believe that, but despite the continuing pandemic, and all the train wrecks and earthquakes and gang shoot outs and the war, and despite all the prejudice and hate crimes and negativity, there are still some marvelous things happening out there.

Now don't get me wrong.  I don't walk around with blinders on, and I don't think everything is wonderful.  I do think that everything should be wonderful, and I do think that if we all work at it we can make some wonderful changes for the better.  I've been saying that here for years!

Just this morning while I was drinking my coffee, I read about a school program that a student began and which will help many impoverished people. Ellen's talk show used to give me daily examples.  (I miss her).  I am privileged to know a number of people who are always doing fundraisers for charity or who are volunteer for this cause or that.  Many wonderful folks will be participating in AIDS Walk this weekend.  Yes, we can always use more, but don't lose sight of what is already out there.

 

Have you some particular examples of good you would like to share with us?  I'd love to hear some stories that we might not otherwise hear.  Please add your own examples of good in the comments below. 

The Twenty

I have told this story before about how special we all are, but I really like it and some of you might not have read my blog the day I told this before, so here it is again.  A well-known speaker started off his seminar holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."

 

He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We may feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special - Don't EVER forget it."

As I mentioned above, I am retelling this wonderful story, and the first time I posted it, it was a retelling too. I have no idea who first told it - it's been circulating on the internet for some time.  The significant thing is the messages it brings.  We are all special.  We should all count our blessings, and NOT our problems!

Remembering Robin Williams

You might remember him as the alien Mork or as Popeye the Sailor or as Mrs. Doubtfire, or dozens of other characters, but Robin Williams was really one of a kind. He made us laugh and made us cry and made us think.  Today would have been his 74th birthday.

I will always remember the day he died. Spontaneous memorials sprung up all over San Francisco, the city where he spent so much of his life. Everyone had a Robin Williams story, and they were all positive stories. Sharon Meadow in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the home of the annual Comedy Day and where AIDS Walk was just held yesterday, was renamed "Robin Williams Meadow."  Also, a tunnel painted with a rainbow on Highway 101, north of the Golden Gate Bridge, has been officially named the "Robin Williams Tunnel."  He was loved!

It is sad that suicide cut short the life of this wonderful man. Please know that the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is always available and they understand that life's challenges can sometimes be difficult. You are not alone. Their caring counselors are there for you.  If we can learn anything from his death, it should be of the importance of enjoying life.

Robin Williams gave us so much entertainment, but he also made us think. On this Monday morning as I recall his life and all the great moments, he gave us, I also remember some very good advice. Robin said "I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone."