The Kindness Box

[Geoff-Allen]

Kindness is the golden thread that weaves humanity together. It’s the gentle touch, the warm smile, and the selfless act that can transform lives. In a world often bustling with chaos and noise, kindness stands as a beacon of hope, reminding us of our shared humanity.

Kindness need not be grandiose; it thrives in the simplest gestures. Holding the door for a stranger, offering a listening ear, or leaving an uplifting note—all these acts create ripples. They touch hearts, inspire others, and set off a chain reaction of goodwill.

Empathy: Step into someone else’s shoes. Understand their struggles, fears, and dreams. Empathy fuels kindness.

Random Acts: Surprise a co-worker with coffee, compliment a passer-by, or donate to a local charity. These small acts matter

Forgiveness: Kindness extends to forgiving ourselves and others. Let go of grudges; embrace compassion.

Volunteer: Give your time to a cause you care about. Volunteering nourishes the soul.

Spread Positivity: Share uplifting stories, quotes, and smiles. Positivity is contagious.

Let’s create a kindness revolution! Extend your hand, lend your heart, and make kindness a daily habit. Imagine if each of us committed to one act of kindness every day—the world would sparkle with love.

Remember, kindness isn’t just a word; it’s a superpower we all possess. Let’s unleash it and watch our world bloom with compassion.

Saidi Ibrahim

 

[Geoff-Allen]

How to Be Kind with Strangers

Leads here - 87 ways! -

How to be kind seems simple enough. But sometimes it feels impossible to be kind and loving, don’t you think? We get so angry and frustrated at events happening in our lives that we cannot access that loving place inside of us. Instead, our eyes go from side to side as our fists clench and minds whirl with angry thoughts. Some of us even spew those thoughts out into the world with our talk and our actions.

Or sometimes we just don’t know what to do. We have a nagging feeling that we need to be doing something, but we’re just not sure what.

When this happens, I always like to sit down and take a moment to reflect. I know that, when you love someone, there must be a better way and that the best antidote to these feelings is to act loving even if I don’t feel very much like doing so. And sometimes I just need a little more help – some prompts, ideas, things to get me going, to shift my emotions. So I made this list of 87 ways to be kind and loving. So next time you feel stuck and are unsure how to be kind in that moment, check this list and you will definitely find something to get you moving in the right direction.

Please share this list freely because there just can’t be too much kindness and love in the world.

87 Ways to Be Kind and Loving

Sometimes if feels impossible to be kind and loving. When you're struggling to access that loving place inside of you, give these expert tips for how to be kind a try.

www.6seconds.org

Enjoy your browsing!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Kindness is the fourth pillar in “The Foundations of Happiness at Work”. A quick visit to the Wikipedia will tell us that it is “a behavior marked by ethical characteristics, a pleasant disposition, and concern and consideration for others”. However, in the UC Berkeley course they use this word as an umbrella term for a variety of prosocial behaviors, including:

• Generosity. Although in many cultures (especially Western, English-speaking ones) self-defense and competition seem like a more natural attitude when being at work, there is an increasing amount of evidence across cultures that being generous in your work interactions not only breeds a better team atmosphere, but also feels good to the individual (unless the other side treats you badly in return). One can, for instance, refer to Adam Grant’s research on “givers vs. takers”1: Basically, his research found out that it is “givers” (those people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return) who are more likely to be successful than both “takers” (those who strive to get as much as possible from others) and “matchers” (those that try to break even in work transactions). While this can make intuitive sense (we like good people rising to the top, and we’d prefer them as bosses), this runs against the popular belief that ruthless back-stabbing is the only way to climb the corporate (or university) ladder. A related prosocial behavior is gratitude (basically, thanking people for what they do for us, big and small). Gratitude has been shown repeatedly to help with job satisfaction and wellbeing2, both in workplaces3 and in research environments (e.g., to improve Ph.D. student-supervisor relationships4).

To read the rest of this article -

Happiness in the lab, part 5: Kindness

Even if you feel that your research contributes to a bigger purpose, even if you work at it with great engagement, even if you’re resilient to setbacks and misfortune… still your time working in research can suck. This week I look at the final missing piece in our search for a happier (research)...

ahappyphd.org

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Huge website -

Gratitude is like breathing in – letting ourselves be touched by the goodness in others and in our world. Generosity is like breathing out – sensing our mutual belonging and offering our care. When we are awake and whole, breathing in and out happens naturally. But these beautiful expressions of our heart become blocked when we are dominated by the fear and grasping of our survival brain.

These talks and meditations are offered to help explore how we can facilitate the evolution of consciousness with the deliberate cultivation of gratitude and generosity.

Resources: Gratitude and Generosity

www.tarabrach.com

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

LOVE IS speaking kindly and gently, even in moments of disagreement, refusing to attack the other person’s character or assault their intelligence.

23 more suggestions about love at this site -

23 Ways To Love People Better

Last week I defined what genuine, other-focused, Christ-centered love was: Willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.Today, I want to give you 23 practical applications of that definition that you can implement...

www.paultripp.com

All the best!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Also at that site - try - paultripp.com generosity

Yet to fully explore - you know what I am like!

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

There are very few people who don’t like the idea of generosity. We are indeed a species that loves to help others and confront needs when we see them. Unfortunately, there are also very few people who are content with the level of generosity in their lives. Most people I know wish they were able to give more. And while there are a number of reasons that this may be the case… sometimes the best solution may be the simplest.

To that end, there are a number of simple steps that we can take to make generosity more intentional in our lives. If you have never given away any money or time, this would be a great way to get started (no matter what your current economic situation is). On the other hand, if you are just hoping to raise the level of generosity in your life, you will also find some of these simple steps to be relevant and helpful.

10 Little Ways to Become More Generous

“You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” — John Bunyan There are very few people who don’t like the idea of generosity. We are indeed a species that loves to help others and confront needs when we see them. Unfortunately, there are also very few...

www.becomingminimalist.com

Enjoy your browsing!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Ways to be more generous -

Generosity is the simple act of being kind and giving to others. Despite being an act that is done to benefit others, when you act generously it actually increases your own well-being. Research shows that generous people are physically healthier, have greater empathy, suffer from lower rates of depression, and even live longer. By being generous, and actively addressing the needs of those around us, we foster the feeling of being able to make a difference in the world.

Generosity is also known to have a ripple effect. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences found that cooperative behavior (aka generosity or kindness) ripples out up to three degrees of separation. In other words, when a person carries out an act of generosity, two more people are inspired or influenced to be generous.

There are many ways to give; how you practice generosity will depend on your life circumstances. But the more you practice generosity, the more you will transform from a person who does generous things into being a generous person.

How To Be More Generous | Practical Tips for Practicing Generosity — Everyday Activism Network

Increase your generosity by practicing gratitude, shifting from a scarcity to an abundance mindset, identifying others' needs, and accepting generosity. Generosity is not a substitute for justice. Watch out for performative generosity. Ways to show generosity can be to pay it forward, show kindness,

www.everydayactivismnetwork.org

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Ami Campbell, author of Radical Generosity for the Real World, recommends the following:

1. Figure out how much you gave away to nonprofit/social justice causes last year.
2. Take that number and divide it by your total income.
3. Multiply it by 100 to get the percent of your earnings that you donated.
4. Important: DO NOT JUDGE THE NUMBER. Simply write it down.
5. Add one. For example, if you gave 1% last year, aim for 2% this year.

She advises that “ generosity doesn't have to be dramatic, but it does have to be intentional. Plan ahead. And make small changes to your lifestyle that can make a real difference in your ability to increase your giving.” For example, borrowing books from the library instead of buying new ones, or making your morning cup of coffee instead of going to a coffee shop (unless it’s a locally and minority-owned bookstore or coffee shop, then please continue to support them!).

 

[Geoff-Allen]

A simple YouTube search -

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www.youtube.com

Enjoy your viewing {and giving}

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Why a Grateful Brain Is a Giving One

The neural connection between gratitude and altruism is very deep, suggests new research.

When you think about gratitude and its place in our culture, you might not immediately think about morality—that is, matters of right and wrong.

Often, we make gratitude sound like it’s all about you. In the domain of self-help, we hear that gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life—or that when we are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.

In fact, research does support the idea that gratitude helps people who practice it. They report fewer physical symptoms of illness, more optimism, greater goal attainment, and decreased anxiety and depression, among other health benefits.

If you stop with feeling good, gratitude certainly seems more like a platitude than a moral emotion that motivates reciprocity and altruism. But here is where I think many of us get gratitude wrong.

There is a much older, pre-self-help conception of gratitude as an emotion with moral motivations. To first-century philosopher Cicero, gratitude was a matter of religious obligation “to the immortal gods.” Modern psychologists such as Michael McCullough and colleagues have systemized it this way: Gratitude is a “moral barometer”—an acknowledgement “that one has been the beneficiary of another person’s moral actions.” They go on to argue that gratitude is also a moral reinforcer, meaning that you’ll see a “thanks” from others as a reward that will lead you to give more in the future.

To read more -

Why a Grateful Brain Is a Giving One

The neural connection between gratitude and altruism is very deep, suggests new research.

www.mindful.org

 

[Geoff-Allen]

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Everyday power helping others - not just first site?

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I don’t want to live in the kind of world where we don’t look out for each other. Not just the people that are close to us, but anybody who needs a helping hand. I can’t change the way anybody else thinks, or what they choose to do, but I can do my bit.”

– Charles De Lint

“One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.”

– Shannon L. Alder

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Prayer help others -

In the book of Luke, we find Jesus praying often. He goes to His Father in prayer as His ministry begins. Jesus prays during temptation, and He prayed for strength and relief as He neared the cross. He withdrew from people to pray, and He prayed early in the day. He also taught us how to pray. (Luke 11:2-4)

As we can see in Scripture, Jesus prayed about everything. By bringing petitions of prayer on behalf of others, we imitate our Savior.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

8 Amazing Things That Happen When We Pray for Others

www.ibelieve.com

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Intercessory Prayer for Healing

Heavenly Father, I come before You on behalf of those who need physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. I lift their names before Your throne of grace, asking for Your mighty touch to bring restoration and wholeness to their bodies, minds, and souls. Lord, I pray for doctors, nurses, and medical professionals involved in their care, that You would grant them wisdom, skill, and compassion. May Your healing power flow through them and bring comfort and relief to those who are suffering. Strengthen the faith of those who are sick and their loved ones, reminding them of Your faithfulness and love. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

20 Powerful Examples of Intercession Prayers to Help Others with scripture - prayer clust

We will explore 20 powerful examples of intercession prayers that can help us pray effectively for others. We will also look at some biblical verses that

prayerclust.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.

Now, the million-dollar question: What’s our problem? Why aren’t we kinder?

Here’s what I think:

Each of us is born with a series of built-in confusions that are probably somehow Darwinian. These are: (1) we’re central to the universe (that is, our personal story is the main and most interesting story, the only story, really); (2) we’re separate from the universe (there’s US and then, out there, all that other junk – dogs and swing-sets, and the State of Nebraska and low-hanging clouds and, you know, other people), and (3) we’re permanent (death is real, o.k., sure – for you, but not for me).

Now, we don’t really believe these things – intellectually we know better – but we believe them viscerally, and live by them, and they cause us to prioritize our own needs over the needs of others, even though what we really want, in our hearts, is to be less selfish, more aware of what’s actually happening in the present moment, more open, and more loving.

"Failures of Kindness"

Read the full transcript of the speech "Failures of Kindness" by George Saunders.

jamesclear.com

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Even more videos at this channel -

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www.youtube.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

An act of kindness is a good deed a person can do to show compassion and love to another person. The gesture is done out of the goodness of a person’s heart, with zero expectation of reciprocation.

Acts of kindness can be done towards someone you know like a family member or friend or even to a complete stranger. A good person might do an act of kindness towards another person to make someone feel happy, appreciated, or valued.

There’s also an element of paying it forward. Sometimes people do acts of kindness to lead by example so that others will follow suit and be kind to others. When you do something kind to another person, often people will tell someone else about it or take action and do something kind for someone else. Thus, spreading a positive message about being kind-hearted.

200+ Acts of Kindness to Show Compassion, Kindness, and Love

How can you show compassion and kindness? Here's over 150 ideas of acts of kindness you can do today to light up someone's day.

declutterthemind.com

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

The milk of human kindness

Stephanie Dowrick's book is a practical expression of beliefs not always easily found, writes Linda Morris.

www.smh.com.au