The Kindness Box

[Geoff-Allen]

No matter what we choose to be in life, when we choose to be kind we experience increased joy and satisfaction!

If we forget to be kind, no matter how glorious our title or grand our paycheck, we are lessened. We might not be the winner we thought we were!

Being kind shows we’re a winner, no matter what life throws at us! Being kind allows someone else to be a winner too!

Kindness rules! Let it rule your heart!!

Have a great day!

Plus an image of a book excerpt I couldn't upload ...

Being kind is something!

No matter what we choose to be in life, when we choose to be kind we experience increased joy and satisfaction! If we forget to be kind, no matter how glorious our title or grand our paycheck, we a…

tamarakulish.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Podcasts & videos all about kindness for yourself and other humans -

Podcasts and Videos - Center for the Advancement of Well-Being

A collection of podcasts and videos related to kindness provided by the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.

wellbeing.gmu.edu

Off to explore a bit more ...

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Loving kindness meditation for the whole world -

Metta for the Whole World: A Meditative Reflection - Rick Hanson, PhD

“Metta” means lovingkindness. A beautiful way to compensate for the hard-wired tendency to fix our attention and affections on mainly one person, or small group of people, is to deliberately cultivate and practice an attitude of compassion and kindness toward people in general.

rickhanson.com

Also find Rick on YouTube!

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Also try this - rickhanson.com kindness

For example -

I usually describe a practice as something to do: get on your own side, see the being behind the eyes, take in the good, etc. This practice is different: it’s something to recognize. From this recognition, appropriate action will follow. Let me explain.

Some years ago, I was invited to give a keynote at a conference with the largest audience I’d ever faced. It was a big step up for me. Legendary psychologists were giving the other talks, and I feared I wouldn’t measure up. I was nervous. Real nervous.

I sat in the back waiting my turn, worrying about how people would see me. I thought about how to look impressive and get approval. My mind fixed on me, me, me. I was miserable.

Then I began reading an interview with the Dalai Lama. He spoke about the happiness in wishing others well. A wave of relief and calming swept through me as I recognized that the kindest thing I could do for myself was to stop obsessing about “me” and instead try to be helpful to others.

So I gave my talk, and stayed focused on what could be useful to people rather than how I was coming across. I felt much more relaxed and at peace – and received a standing ovation. I laughed to myself at the ironies: to get approval, stop seeking it; to take care of yourself, take care of others.

Kindness to You is Kindness to Me; Kindness to Me is Kindness to You - Rick Hanson, PhD

Kindness to others and to yourself is a genuine and beautiful two-way street.

rickhanson.com

Cheers!

 

[Kathryn]

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. CS Lewis

 

[Geoff-Allen]

To learn how to be kind and loving, first you need to have a sense of what it is. Kindness is about giving of oneself freely, for the pure reason of helping others without an expectation of reciprocity or strings attached.

Admittedly, that’s not always easy! For many people, life's challenges can make kindness a bit of an afterthought. We seem shorter on kindness than we were a few years ago. Though we can’t turn back the clock or control what will happen next, we can find ways to replenish our kindness reserves.

14 Ways To Be A More Kind & Loving Person | mindbodygreen

What does it mean to be a kind and loving person? Here are a few ways to be kinder to everyone around you, recommended by a doctor.

www.mindbodygreen.com

All the best!

 

[sun rise]

I was walking around our farmer's market yesterday which is located in a Kaiser health care campus. I saw this and thought - what a great reminder:

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Often times, someone stumbles across our site and wants to join the #mentalhealthmatters movement by writing a letter. But why do letters matter?

See, here at Letters to Strangers, we believe that writing is humanity distilled into ink. And we've seen personally how one letter--one human connection--can truly save a life. If we were all a bit kinder to each other; if we listened to strangers and trusted that they would listen to us, we'd be choosing to love and believe in the universality of humanity. For mental health to matter, we need to make that choice. Without empathy, society cannot progress. That's why we write letters.

Now, usually, we exchange letters written by members at our chapters and our partner sites, but we understand that not everyone has a L2S chapter/partner site nearby that they can join. We encourage you to start a chapter or partner site today if that's the case (read here to find out the difference between chapters and partner sites)!

Submit a Letter | Letters to Strangers

Write an anonymous letter to a stranger, as thoughtful and human as you can, and we'll make sure a stranger receives your inked love!

www.letterstostrangers.org

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

"Doing volunteer work, helping other people out, and bringing joy to others can be the quickest way to uplift your own spirits. One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people."

— Allen Klein | Author | Professional Speaker | World’s only Jollytologist® | Speaker | TED Presenter

 

[Geoff-Allen]

The Bodhisattva Vow blew me away the first time I read it in "Awakening the Buddha within"

The Bodhisattva Vow is the commitment to put others before oneself. It is a statement of willingness to give up one’s own well-being, even one’s own enlightenment, for the sake of others. And a bodhisattva is simply a person who lives in the spirit of that vow, perfecting the qualities known as the six paramitas [perfections] - generosity, discipline, patience, exertion, meditation, and transcendental knowledge - in his effort to liberate beings.

Read more at this huge site -

The Bodhisattva Vow

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche explains; those who take the bodhisattva vow make one simple commitment: to put others first, holding nothing back for themselves.

www.lionsroar.com

All the best!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Found this at the mindful site - always excellent value -

Why a Grateful Brain Is a Giving One

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

www.mindful.org

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Pema Chodron has written quite a few very popular books - try searching for the word kindness in this pdf document at her site -

The Essential Pema: Study Guide - The Pema Chodron Foundation

Download a PDF copy of Pema's study guide here. Read the PDF on any device, or print it out.

pemachodronfoundation.org

From a quick search - it appears 25 times. But I do recommend the actual books for the full experience!

Cheers

 

[Geoff-Allen]

“In cultivating loving-kindness, we learn first to be honest, loving and compassionate toward ourselves. Rather than nurturing self-denigration, we begin to cultivate a clear-seeing kindness. Sometimes we feel good and strong. Sometimes we feel inadequate and weak. But like mother-love, maitri is unconditional; no matter how we feel, we can aspire that we be happy. We can learn to act and think in ways that sow seeds of our future well-being. Gradually, we become more aware about what causes happiness as well as what causes distress. Without loving-kindness for ourselves, it is difficult, if not impossible, to genuinely feel it for others.”

Pema Chödrön

Find more with this search -

lotusseed.com.au kindness

Enjoy your browsing!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

After reading Lovingkindness for the the first time, I thought it was okay – another decent book about spiritual life. However, after closer scrutiny and having worked with the actual techniques, I’ve come to deeply appreciate Sharon Salzberg’s work. Again and again, I return to the practical advice and profound insights that have emerged from her many years of meditation experience and retreat. The focus of the book is the four brahma-viharas, Pali for “god-like abodes.” They are lovingkindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. Imagine if your mind/heart was open in deep compassion and lovingkindness, balanced by equanimity and characterized by joy. Does this not sound heaven-like? More promising is the fact that not only can these qualities spontaneously arise but that they can be intentionally cultivated. It is possible to gradually move away from our normally constricted state towards the mutually supportive god-like ones through small, gradual steps. Salzberg’s writing is clear, inspiring and filled with lots of personal anecdotes.

The content is buddhist but can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Most importantly there are detailed instructions on how to actually do it. One of my all time favourites!

Lovingkindness

Lovingkindness

agoodheart.ca

Plus the menus at that site.

Enjoy!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Try this - Tiny Buddha helping others - several -

“If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path.” ~Buddha

Why are you here on this earth? What is your purpose? What are you supposed to be doing with your life? These deep questions burn in all of us. Our souls’ desire is to lead fulfilling lives that have meaning.

My life’s journey has always been linked to helping other people; I just never saw it as serving them. As I have grown to know myself, I have discovered that I have this huge heart that wants the best for myself and for others. I now live to serve, and this brings me great fulfillment.

Create Meaning By Helping Others (Without Doing it for Validation)

I believe our true purpose in life is to give our lives away to others, and that we receive happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in return.

tinybuddha.com

Cheers!

 

[sun rise]

Try this - Tiny Buddha helping others - several -

“If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path.” ~Buddha

Why are you here on this earth? What is your purpose? What are you supposed to be doing with your life? These deep questions burn in all of us. Our souls’ desire is to lead fulfilling lives that have meaning.

My life’s journey has always been linked to helping other people; I just never saw it as serving them. As I have grown to know myself, I have discovered that I have this huge heart that wants the best for myself and for others. I now live to serve, and this brings me great fulfillment.

Create Meaning By Helping Others (Without Doing it for Validation)

I believe our true purpose in life is to give our lives away to others, and that we receive happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in return.

tinybuddha.com

Cheers!

Those who do something like helping the poor from a motivation of praise or avoiding taxes don't really "light a lamp". Those who do it for compassion/love are indeed lighting the lamp.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Huff Post good news

Books to raise kind kids -

10 Books For Parents Who Want To Raise Kind Kids

These parenting books emphasize emotional intelligence, empathy and respect for others.

www.huffpost.com

Cheers!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Similar list -

35 Children's Books That Teach Empathy And Kindness

These stories feature messages of compassion, acceptance and inclusion.

www.huffpost.com

All the best!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

You never know what is going on in someone’s world… and your unexpected gesture or kind words may be just what they need to turn their day around!

After all, wouldn’t you like it if someone did that for you?

In this article, I’m going to offer 33 ideas for how to make people smile. Hopefully they will inspire you to act on them… or even come up with some of your own.

More at the happier human site -

33 Quick Ways to Make People Smile Today

Figuring out how to make people smile doesn’t always have to involve a grand gesture. It can be the most seemingly insignificant thing and still get the job done.

www.happierhuman.com

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Ten Meritorious Deeds -

The Buddha taught ten meritorious deeds for us to perform in order to gain a happy and peaceful life as well as to develop knowledge and understanding. The ten meritorious deeds are:

Charity
Morality
Mental culture
Reverence or respect
Service in helping others
Sharing merits with others
Rejoicing in the merits of others
Preaching and teaching the Dhamma
Listening to the Dhamma
Straightening one's views​

The performance of these ten meritorious deeds will not only benefit oneself, but others as well, besides giving benefits to the recipients. Moral conduct benefits all beings with whom one comes into contact. Mental culture brings peace to others and inspires them to practise the Dhamma. Reverence gives rise to harmony in society, while service improves the lives of others. Sharing merits with others shows that one is concerned about others' welfare, while rejoicing in others' merits encourages others to perform more merits. Teaching and listening to the Dhamma are important factors for happiness for both the teacher and listener, while encouraging both to live in line with Dhamma.

What Buddhists Believe - Ten Meritorious and Ten Evil Actions

Enjoy!