When I arrived in DC on October 30th, there was a package waiting for me at the front desk of the hotel from my friend Jill. It was this magnet and a Starbucks gift card. A text followed shortly afterward, welcoming me to DC and sharing a kind compliment. For a brief moment, I thought maybe she'd come from CA to DC after all, because I could feel her sweet presence through her inspiring kindness.
Words can't adequately describe the warm feelings that came over me on that chilly Autumn afternoon. I have always gotten those feelings from giving, but am finding out that they also come from allowing myself to receive these beautiful acts of kindness. Because kindness matters, regardless of which end of it you're on.
Happy World Kindness Week 2014.
Click the graphic for a Ripple Kindness newsletter FULL of ideas.
As I was researching and preparing for my kindness keynote,
I found that the virtue of kindness has a magical, magnetic effect that parallels the Law of Attraction.
If you go looking for kindness, kindness is bound to find you.
So this week, I'm going to share kindnesses that have found me lately. First, our friends over at KindSpring posted this over the weekend:
It is super kind of them to share our story with their readers.
Then I found this package in the mailbox from my brother in WI:
Such a thoughtful surprise. I combined his fall foliage with the leaves I picked up in DC to make a colorful bouquet on the table outside of my office. Ah, the sights and smells of autumn. Many of my little Texans asked, "Are these real?" One of them proclaimed confidently, "I know you made those, Mrs. Gruener!"
No, I couldn't make anything quite that beautiful, little buddy.
The third and final example for today is the kindness shown by Midwest Book Reviews. As you can imagine, they are inundated with books to review and they simply do not have the resources to review them all. When my book didn't make the cut, they kindly offered to give it a shout out in their November newsletter.
I'm so grateful for their generous gift.
I didn't know how valuable words could be to someone, until I wrote a book and they were crucial for endorsements.
An act of kindness doesn't have to be a grand gesture. Small things count, too. In fact, sometimes it's the littlest acts of inspired kindness that make the biggest difference.
A bear hug.
A kind text.
A covered duty.
A thank-you note.
A happy phone call.
A treat sent in the mail.
A slice of something savory.
An affirmation or a compliment.
A smile when you need it the most.
♡
What will you to do inspire and attract kindness today?
Your brother's sweet but simple gift makes me smile. So thoughtful.
ReplyDelete❀ Tammy
Forever in First