Dear Friends,

I love HH the Dalai Lama’s religion of kindness.   Kindness is a wonderful way to begin practicing  the spiritual principle “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.”   I am sure many of you saw the movie  “Pay it Forward,” where a young boy only asks that good deeds be paid forward.  No one is asking for “money” or “if I do this for you, what is in it for me?”  That is the OLD paradigm way of thinking. Doing a good deed, and act of kindness comes from the Divine deep within. It is a way of reaching out and saying, “I SEE You, I know you are there, you are important to me, I acknowledge your presence, I am here to love you.”  What a beautiful gift we can give another person.  I read on Oprah’s website 35 ways to provide an act of kindness.  I chose 10 to share with you. There are many more you can think of as you progress through your day. Try ONE and see how good it feels.

“One small, thoughtful gesture can make someone else’s day… 1.  Pay the toll for the driver behind you. 2.  Take a minute to direct someone who is lost, even though you’re rushing. 3.  Put a coin in an expired meter. 4.  Each time you get a new item of clothing, give away something old. 5.  Out of the blue, send flowers to a friend. 6.  Don’t interrupt when someone is explaining herself/himself. 7.  Put your shopping cart back in its place. 8.  Call or write to a teacher who changed your life. 9.  Forgive someone a debt–and never bring it up again. 10.  Offer change when the person in front of you at the register comes up short.” Read more: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/35-Little-Acts-of-Kindness/2#ixzz2EgWIkTUE

A favorite of mine is to just SMILE at a stranger.  Not only will YOU light up, you will light up the  person as well.  Once a smile is shared, a connection is made, then there are no more strangers.