Is Kindness in Short Supply?

Stories of unkindness make headlines. get talked about, are the stuff of television and movies. They are everywhere - if you only look at the big pictures. But when we begin to look at small things, at the daily kindnesses of everyday people, we can see that it is more pervasive than we thought.

From the many children who raise money with lemonade stands for charity to the many people that choose to grow their hair long enough to donate it to make wigs for cancer chemo patients, we seldom see those acts of kindness. For every small act of kindness there are many other people doing the same or similar things. But these seldom make the news and we tend to overlook them because of the big tragedies that crowd the headlines.

We may see a story of a restaurant donating meals to the homeless, while at the same time there are countless times that other restaurants or individuals give a free meal to someone in need. Kindness is subtle. It's about love and care for another. The impact may seem small to most observers while the impact to those that are recipients of the kindness is great. 

http://www.wearecentralpa.com/news/students-raise-money-for-a-good-cause

If you are wanting to change the world, you must start with where you are, all the small and everyday opportunities for kindness. And we must share the stories of kindness so that others are encouraged to do the same. This can spread kindness across the world.People hear the story of kindness and feel better. Then they change the way they treat each others. Kindness is contagious.

http://eaglenews.org/outreach/paint-party-to-raise-money-for-hunters-syndrome/

We need to know that good things happen in the world. Children especially need to hear the stories of kindness. That is how they learn to be kind. And they will then teach others to be kind. They are great imitators. They do what they see others do. Show them kindness.

When have you experienced kindness? What have you observed that someone did that was truly kind? When have you be the recipient of a kind act? Please share your stories in the comments below.

Scarcity and Compassion

How many problems are cause by a sense of scarcity? Think about it. So many of our conflicts come from the sense that there isn't enough of something, enough money, enough water, enough oil, enough food, enough land, enough love, enough security.The list goes on. Wars are fought to get more of something because there doesn't seem to be enough. 

We need more than someone else for us to be o.k. There is constant conflict in the effort to get more than we have. There is never enough.

But scarcity is not what it seems., The reality is that with the technology of conservation, recycling and renewable can supply with enough, with little sacrifice on our part, to live in a world of abundance. There is enough of everything to provide for all of the world if we lived with the connectedness of a loving family. It is the fear of not having enough for ourselves that we hold back from sharing whatever it is we think there isn't enough of.

In nearly every case of perceived scarcity, that which seems scarce is within our reach if we change our perspective toidentify the real need we are trying to meet, if we get to the root. We only need to release the habits and believes tht hold us in the belief of scarcity.

For instance, there is a tree native to Central America that produces the Mayan bread nut. In the tropics it produces eight times the caloric yield of corn per hectar with superior nutrition  and store-ability. It can be collected in vast quantities with minimal labor and requires no pesticides. It only needs to be planted once, is drought resistant, provides fodder for goats and cows, and can be grown along with vegetables and aquaculture underneath it.

This tree has been cut down all over Central America to make room for cor, its poor substitute that depletes the soil, requires chemical insecticides, is labor intensive and farmed with polluting gas powered machines. This is all because people hang on to old beliefs and habits that drive them to use corn. (1)

This refusal to let go of old habits and beliefs keeps us in the same cycle of destruction of our world and our culture of consumption, perception of scarcity, and violence/war.

For a more beautiful world we must change those beliefs and let go of those habits. We must let go of the habits of separation and embrace the habits of connection, the belief that we are all related with all of creation. Living from that perspective we can better address the problems we face.

"The problems we experience in our lives and in the world (whether relationship issues or world hunger) stem from energetic weakness and disconnection, from our lack of capacity to feel ourselves, each other, the earth, and how life seeks to move and evolve through us. The issue is not whether or not to act and "do somethin," but what actually prompts us to act" - Dan Emmons

This "lack of capacity to feel" evidenced in the lack of empathy. We watch the news, watch people suffering from all sorts of problems and, while we feel bad for them in that moment, we go on with our lives as usual. We fall back on old beliefs and habits that allow u to accept things as they are.

Without that ability to feel the pain of antother there is no true compassion. For compassion is not sympathy. It is the action that come from emotions deep inside us to alleviate another's pain.

What are those beliefs and habits that allow us to accept the status quo? Can you identify yours? We must if we want change for the better. Do you tell yourself the problem is too big for you to solve so you do nothing in your state of hopelessness? Do you tell yourself there will always be problems so don't concern yourself about it? Do you believe the myth of scarcity and guard what you have for fear of not having enough yourself? 

Can you identify other beliefs that are used to avoid feeling other's pain? Only when we identify what is inside of us can we change our behaviors and change the world to become that beautiful world we long for.

(1) The Beautiful World Our Hearts Know is Possible by Charles Eisenstein.

Today's Daily Dozen To-Do List:

• "Adopt" a lion, tiger, whale, or other animal. Many zoos, aquariums, and animal sea habitats have adoption programs. In exchange for financial support, you get a photo and biography of your new adoptee.
• To conserve water, fix faucet leaks promptly, and don't leave water running, even while brushing your teeth. Take showers instead of baths. Water your lawn less frequently - grass is hardy and comes back from drought.
• Make a birdbath from a plastic dish and put it in your yard or on the windowsill. Keep it filled with water.
• Create art or crafts, such as quilts, afghans, or baby blankets, and donate them to be auctioned or given away by a nonprofit organization or group.
• Write a kind note to relatives and friends, letting them know how and why thay are special.
• Clean up trash and don't litter. Keep your neighborhood looking its best.Take along a trash bag when you go for walks and collect litter on your way.
• Buy gift cards at fast food restaurants and give them to homeless people or to single moms struggling to make ends meet.
• Collect personal care items, new underwear, and socks for homeless shelters and safe houses. Include toiletries, razors, and women's hygiene items.
• Donate individual flowers for food trays delivered to the home-bound.
• Prepare a special meal or dessert for seniors or nursing home residents.
• Volunteer to set up, decorate, register guests, serve lunch, or sell raffle tickets at a community event for the elderly, students, or a nonprofit organization.
• Help schoolchildren design and make Random Actso of Kindness bookmarks, stickers or buttons. Asl teachers, librarie, and merchants to distribute them.