Daily Mood Quotes - January 3, 2012

Daily Mood Quote

Day 229 – January 3, 2012

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

~Mark Twain

Yesterday morning, I looked outside and realized we probably had enough snow on the ground to shovel. But, figuring it was a holiday Monday as New Year's Day was on a Sunday this year, my husband and I did not rush out into the suddenly frigid January air, to shovel driveways. We had a slower start to our day and wanted to begin this New Year by spending the first couple of days at home, just enjoying the time together with our children. The holiday season this year was a rough one, punctuated by extreme, frenetic busyness (visiting family out-of-town) because of a death, funeral and the Christmas holiday. So, we needed some quiet, peaceful time to collect our thoughts and gather our sense of equilibrium again. We decided that we were going to take that time, without regret or remorse... it's how you stay healthy, you know.

Anyway to continue with my snow covered story; I took my lunch dishes to the kitchen sink yesterday and happened to look outside and noticed that someone was shoveling our elderly neighbor's driveway. Normally (for the past two years), my husband and I were doing the shoveling after it snowed, but yesterday was different. Someone we could not recognize (heavy winter outdoor attire), was shoveling our neighbor's driveway. What a pleasant surprise to see someone else stepping up and stepping in to do a kindness, for an 89 year old man who ought not to be shoveling snow. A bit later my husband did get out to shovel our driveway and to his wonderment, our other elderly neighbor's driveway, the one on the other side of the house, was also done (we live in a bit of a “senior sandwich” with older neighbors on each side and us “youngsters” in between). In fact, most of the driveway's in the neighborhood had been cleared. This was awesome we thought; truly a fantastic way to start off the New Year. We were delighted and my husband whistled his way through our driveway in short order.

We have no idea who the mystery shoveler is, but we are thankful for their magnanimous display of neighborly kindness. In fact, I'll bet we were happier than the neighbors who had their driveway's shoveled. BRAVO...You are a true, kind and wonderful person.... whoever you are. Thank you.

Mother Theresa said, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness. Kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” That's the really cool thing about kindness, it radiates outward (and inward too) and positively affects people who are not even direct recipients of the kindness. We felt good all day about that, even though we shoveled our own driveway. Like Morgan Freeman, who played God in the movie Evan Almighty said to Evan Baxter (played by Steve Carell), “How do you change the world? One Act of Random Kindness” (at a time). Enough said.

What “kindness” will you display today?

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Daily Mood Quotes

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 78 – July 20, 2011

You're alive. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change.

~Neil Gaiman

Sometimes, I feel that people believe the only way to change the world is through some grand gesture, or some highly affluent position, which affords them the money to change the world. So, many don't even try. We live our day-to-day lives, going about our business, never paying attention to, or reaching out to those around us in small and meaningful ways. Perhaps its because our culture is a bit skewed toward grandiose and overt acts, that grab headlines. Or, perhaps its because we have allowed ourselves to be so busy, we don't take time to help. Maybe both or neither, I'm not certain. Yes, the grand gestures of this world can make a impact on a larger scale, but often for only a short time. The ancient Chinese proverb goes: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” So it is with kindness; food for your and their spirit. It's the smaller acts of kindness that make the real difference. They impact people personally and make those small shifts of perspective, for the giver and the receiver, that truly change the world.

For example, yesterday I went to Walmart to purchase a few small items (they were on sale) and there was a mom with her two young children in a cart, pulling things off the shelves, while the mother desperately tried to shop. Boy, have I been there. I walked over and with a smile, making eye contact with the mom, so she knew I wasn't crazy, dangerous or both and said to her son, “You like to play the game 52 pick-up, don't you?” while picking up the items from the floor. Then through a little game, I once played with my own children, I got both children to sit down in the cart. The mother who no longer showed frustration and embarrassment on her face said, “Thank you” and smiled. My husband and I walked away while saying in unison “Your welcome.” Don't forget he stood there patiently, while I played the “sit down game” for the thousandth time.

On May 10, 2011, Day six of this blog, I talked about building an A-R-K, which comes from the movie Evan Almighty with Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman. This movie is one of my favorites because of the strong message, that is profoundly restated throughout the movie. “How do you change the world? One Act of Random Kindness at a time.” A smile to a person who is having a bad day. Assistance to someone who dropped something, or a friendly ear to someone who needs a friend. You might be surprised at the difference these things can make in someone's life. We are going through tough times and the only news that is being displayed is downright depressing. It's easy to turn inward and try to close out the world. But that's never how things get better. It just reinforces the negative. To change our world, we must begin by embracing it with a heart full of love and an Act of Random Kindness.

How will you "change" someone's world today?

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Daily Mood Quote

Day 75 – July 17, 2011

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”

~Tim Robbins

There was a time in my life when I planned out everything. What I was going to wear, what I was going to eat, to the activities I did day-to-day. Many of my friends called me rigid, and they were right, I was. Every night before I went to sleep, I would make a list, a to-do-list of all the things to be completed the next day. I followed that list to the letter, never changing it, never adding or subtracting from the list. I also found I got upset when I couldn't complete the list. How sad is that?

Life has a way a making us change, not necessarily who we are, (it"s good to have a foundation), just the way we do things. That could be the hardest change to make. There is a phrase, “set in your ways” and many of us are. We tend to fall back on what we are comfortable with, what we know, and what we  think we know works. There is nothing wrong with that, except when we fail to make progress and grow in our lives. The popular definition of insanity includes: "doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results"(Rita May Brown, 1983).

In the movie Evan Almighty, Congressman Evan Baxter (played by Steve Carell) has an encounter with God (Morgan Freeman), who asks Evan, “How about it, feel like living on the edge?” Shortly after, Evan makes God laugh when he tells him, “This whole building an ARK thing, isn't really part of my plans here, I got to settle into my house, I've got to make a good impression at work...” God says while laughing, “Your plans, thats...” and begins laughing harder at Evan. The fact is, life doesn't really care what our “plans” are. Things change and we have to change with it, like it or not. We as a family, no longer stick strictly to Plan A, although we try, but often we follow Plan B, Plan C and even Plan D.... Section II, paragraph three, line five... which simply reads; "Forget your plans and go with the flow.” I have learned to be flexible, because everyday is a new day and since I wasn't born with a crystal ball, visions of tomorrow, like Nostradamus, or even 10 minutes from now, I've learned to be more flexible than Gumby, the green, animated character from the 1950's and popularly portrayed on Saturday Night Live by Eddie Murphy. Is it sometimes frustrating? You Bettcha! But, it does keep things interesting! By the way, I still plan what I am going to eat and wear, the rest...well, there is always Plan B.

How will you be “flexible” in your schedule today?

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