Ripples #830: Unleashing Kindness!
Apr 20, 2015
PEBBLE
We won’t always know whose lives we touched and made better for our having cared, because actions can sometimes have unforeseen ramifications. What’s important is that you do care and you act.
-Charlotte Lunsford, shared by Justin in Beaumont, TX
BOULDER
Those who make compassion an essential part of their lives find the joy of life. Kindness deepens the spirit and produces rewards that cannot be completely explained in words. It is an experience more powerful than words. To become acquainted with kindness one must be prepared to learn new things and feel new feelings. Kindness is more than a philosophy of the mind. It is a philosophy of the spirit.
-Robert J. Furey, shared by Danielle in Jackson, MS
PONDER
It has been a privilege to send out these weekly splashes of inspiration for the past eight hundred and thirty Mondays, and it is both a significant honor and an absolute hoot to have you along for the ride.
Later this week I will celebrate 18 years of full-time self employment as “The Ripples Guy,” (well, some of you will remember I started out as Mr. Stone Soup Seminars and it wasn’t until a few years later that this weekly email became my identity!). I’m wondering if you could do me a favor and help me celebrate by doing something incredibly simple: unleash ripples of compassion and kindness. Some of you recognize that phrase as “uRock!” which we coined a few years ago during the financial downturn when I drove around in my smile-covered Prius to encourage people to hang on through the tough times.
I’d be so grateful if this Friday, April 24 and/or Saturday, April 25, you found the time to unleash one or more simple acts of kindness. It could be just a text or phone call of gratitude to someone who’s been there for you, or keeping your eye open for a passerby who needs help. If you want to make it interesting, you could bring some treats to colleagues, neighbors, a business you appreciate, or a charity you value.
Another angle might be to catch someone doing something nice and make it a point to say, “I saw what you did there, and I wanted to thank you for reminding me there is lots of good in this world!” I’ve created a Facebook Event so that people could share ideas and report their kindnesses. You might also choose to mention it in your FaceTweet InstaTumblr pages using the hashtag #uRock.
I’m not expecting this to go viral or anything, nor am I wanting you to promote the Ripples emails. I’d love it if you just told your kindness recipient, “I’m part of a group of people who unleash ripples of compassion and kindness,” or just used the #urock hashtag and let it be a bit mysterious.
Thanks in advance for any spare kindness you can unleash this Friday & Saturday!
Peace,
Paul
The Ripples Guy
P.S. If you’re too busy or if you forget, just know that every time you remember to follow through on an impulse to show compassion or extend kindness, you improve the world for others AND for yourself