Kindness

Thinking Out Loud ~ Setting Aside Biases

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Looking Beyond Appearances

Saint-Exupéry in writes in The Little Prince, “I have serious reasons to believe that the planet where the little Prince came from is asteroid B-612. This asteroid was seen only once through the telescope, in 1909, by a Turkish astronomer. Then, he made a great demonstration of his discovery at an international Congress of astronomy. However, nobody believed him because of his costume. The grown-ups are like that. Fortunately, for the reputation of asteroid B-612, a Turkish dictator imposed on his people on pain of death, to dress like the Europeans. The astronomer remade his demonstration in 1920, in a very elegant garment. And this time, everybody accepted his opinion.”

NOTE: It is easy to judge people based on their appearance. If someone appears to be different from us we often allow our biases to rule over our reason. When we look beyond appearances and into the person we find something all together different. We discover someone much like ourselves. It’s better to set aside judgments and listen. We may learn something.

Feel Good Tip ~ Move Out of the Tight Circle

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I am blessed. I am surrounded by good neighbors and friends. They care about me and I care about them. When we move outside of our tight circle we discover a beautiful world filled with beautiful people who care and have loving hearts.

Poem for Today ~ Lord, I Ask a Garden . . .

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Lord, I Ask a Garden . . .

Alfonso Guillén Zelaya

Lord, I ask a garden in a quiet spot
where there may be a brook with a good flow,
an humble little house covered with bell-flowers,
and a wife and a son who shall resemble Thee.

I should wish to live many years, free from hates,
and make my verses, as the rivers
that moisten the earth, fresh and pure.
Lord, give me a path with trees and birds.

I wish that you would never take my mother,
for I should wish to tend to her as a child
and put her to sleep with kisses, when somewhat old
she may need the sun.

I wish to sleep well, to have a few books,
an affectionate dog that will spring upon my knees,
a flock of goats, all things rustic,
and to live off the soil tilled by my own hand.

To go into the field and flourish with it;
to seat myself at evening under the rustic eaves,
to drink in the fresh mountain perfumed air
and speak to my little one of humble things.

At night to relate him some simple tale,
teach him to laugh with the laughter of water
and put him to sleep thinking that he may later on
keep that freshness of the moist grass.

And afterward, the next day, rise with dawn
admiring life, bathe in the brook,
milk my goats in the happiness of the garden
and add a strophe to the poem of the world.

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Feel Good Tip ~ What Will You Do?

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What is one nice thing you can do today for someone? There are an infinite number of opportunities. You can do something as simple as sending a text with an inspiring quote. Not sure where to find an inspiring quote? Here is a great website loaded with quotes to lift your spirit: BrainyQuote.  Don’t want to send a quote? Send a text and simply say, “Thinking of you. Hope you are doing well.” You can copy and paste from this post. It’s easy to do something simple that means a lot to others.

Poem for Today ~ Songs for the People

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Songs for the People

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Let me make the songs for the people,
   Songs for the old and young;
Songs to stir like a battle-cry
   Wherever they are sung.

Not for the clashing of sabres,
   For carnage nor for strife;
But songs to thrill the hearts of men
   With more abundant life.

Let me make the songs for the weary,
   Amid life’s fever and fret,
Till hearts shall relax their tension,
   And careworn brows forget.

Let me sing for little children,
   Before their footsteps stray,
Sweet anthems of love and duty,
   To float o’er life’s highway.

I would sing for the poor and aged,
   When shadows dim their sight;
Of the bright and restful mansions,
   Where there shall be no night.

Our world, so worn and weary,
   Needs music, pure and strong,
To hush the jangle and discords
   Of sorrow, pain, and wrong.

Music to soothe all its sorrow,
   Till war and crime shall cease; 
And the hearts of men grown tender
   Girdle the world with peace.

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Thinking Out loud ~ Happiness is Contagious

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Let Your Shine Brighten the World

James Allen in his book, As a Man Thinketh, writes, “There is no physician like cheerful thought for dissipating the ills of the body; there is no comforter to compare with goodwill for dispersing the shadows of grief and sorrow. To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison-hole. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all—such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven; and to dwell day by day in thoughts of peace toward every creature will bring abounding peace to their possessor.” Pps. 32-33

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: I’ve read if you’re in a poor mood and force yourself to smile and continue to smile your mood changes. You can’t be in a bad mood if you’re smiling. There is a lot of truth to that saying. Turn on TV. Watch any of the news programs and count how many people you see smiling and happy. They all look unhappy to me. It could be because of the news they’re reporting, the stress they’re under, or the people they work with. Unhappiness is as contagious as COVID. I also believe that happiness is equally contagious. One of the best ways to remain in an upbeat, optimistic, and happy mood is to surround ourselves with like people. Sunshine suddenly flows into our lives.

Thinking Out Loud ~ What Thoughts Dictate Your Features?

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Let the Sunshine In

James Allen in his book, As a Man Thinketh, writes, “I know a woman of ninety-six who has the bright, innocent face of a girl. I know a man well under middle age whose face is drawn into inharmonious contours. The one is the result of a sweet and sunny disposition; the other is the outcome of passion and discontent. As you cannot have a sweet and wholesome abode unless you admit the air and sunshine freely into your rooms, so a strong body and a bright, happy, or serene countenance can only result from the free admittance into the mind of thoughts of joy and goodwill and serenity.”

As a Man Thinketh is available online at gutenberg.org under the Harvard Classics.

NOTE: James Allen wrote his book, As a Man Thinketh, in 1903. That was long before scientists began to research the mind body connection. Allen makes the mind body connection and argues that the kinds of thoughts we have will have their expression in our body. From my experience, it’s true. I know many people who are happy, kind, and compassionate. They go about their day filled with joy. They look remarkably younger than those I know who are angry about everything. They are angry about family, politics, and neighbors. Their thinking is written throughout their face. One way of de-aging ourselves is to change the way we think. Let the sunshine in and the years will wash away.

Daily Inspirational Quotes ~ Kindness is Healing

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I’ve been searching for ways to heal myself, and I’ve found that kindness is the best way.

Lady Gaga

Feel Good Tip ~ Practicing Common Courtesies

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The Little Things Add Up

Practicing common curtesies makes all the difference. One of the reasons I like living in south Texas is that folks still practice common courtesies. Rarely do I hear a horn blaring if someone is stopped at a red light and not paying attention to when it turns greens.  Going in and out of a building it’s common to have someone hold the door for the next person coming through. And, people are not afraid to smile and greet each other with a good morning or buenas dias. It’s the little things that make one realize we’re all riding together on planet Earth and we just might make it if we’re a bit more friendly toward each other.

Poem for Today ~ Sunshine After Cloud

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Sunshine After Cloud

Josephine D. Heard

Come, “Will,” let’s be good friends again, 
     Our wrongs let’s be forgetting, 
For words bring only useless pain, 
     So wherefore then be fretting. 

Let’s lay aside imagined wrongs, 
    And ne’er give way to grieving,
Life should be filled with joyous songs, 
    No time left for deceiving. 

I’ll try and not give way to wrath, 
    Nor be so often crying; 
There must some thorns be in our path, 
    Let’s move them now by trying. 

How, like a foolish pair were we, 
    To fume about a letter; 
Time is so precious, you and me; 
    Must spend ours doing better.

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