Kindness Rule #4

Like smiles, kindness is contagious!

Life is good!  God is great!  All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

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Be Kind to Yourself

While you are out there spreading kindness, remember to be kind to yourself.  In fact we need to remember that while we are spiritual beings, we are currently having a human experience and as we all know humans make mistakes.  Somewhere somehow we as spiritual beings decided to have this human experience and we need to give ourselves a break when, not if, we mess up.

Most of us have a conversation going on in our heads, which is okay, if we remember to be kind while talking about ourselves.  No more of “What were you thinking?” or “I’m stupid” or “I’m not good enough” types of remarks.  Being ugly to yourself is disrespectful of not only to you, but it is disrespectful of God.  Think about it, we are all beloved children of God and if are not respectful of God’s work that’s just wrong.

Remember that part of the human experience is to enjoy life.  I’ve spent most of my life struggling to work hard for some goal I set for myself.  I’ve recently been told by several people I respect that I need to relax and just enjoy life.  At first I try to enjoyed life by working hard to find things to enjoy; sort of defeated the purpose of the whole idea.  Right now, I am just remembering to take deep breathes and enjoy the moment I’m in.

So rule number three is “Be Kind to Yourself.”    In order words:  be patient, compassionate, caring, and forgiving toward ourselves.

Life is good!  God is great! All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

Kindness Counts

To be kind does not have to expensive, take a lot of time or use a lot of your energy.  Don’t get me wrong, if you have the money do use some of it for the purpose of being kind.  If you have the time and extra energy do put it to use being kind.  I’m just trying to let those of you who do not have extra money, time or energy that you still can make a difference.  You can brighten someone’s day by simple acts of kindness.

Examples:

• Smile at someone: if someone is having an unusually rough day, a smile from a stranger has the potential of brighten up their day.
• Holding a door open:   If someone has their hands full or using crutches or in a wheelchair or just plain tired, it helps to hold the door open for them.
• When you are in line at a store, if someone only has one or two items to buy, let them go before you.
• If someone has made a positive difference in your life, let them know.  Sometimes a person just needs to hear that they have made a positive impact on someone.
• If you love someone, tell them…often.
• Share your lunch with someone.
• When you finish reading a good book that belongs to you, leave it somewhere for someone else to enjoy.

If you do not have a lot of money, but have time and have the energy there are endless opportunities to be kind.  Just remember to be kind to yourself and not over extend yourself.  Things that do cost time and energy:

• Use your skills to help someone.
• Teach someone a skill you have mastered.
• If you know someone who is a caregiver, offer to give them a break by staying with their loved ones for a few minutes, a hour or longer so they can have a much needed break.
• Write a letter of encouragement.  It doesn’t matter if it is a friend, family member or a stranger just sit down and write a few positive words.  Perhaps something you would love to have someone tell you.  Whether you do it anonymously or sign your name, it has the potential of changing someone’s life for the better.
• Visit folks in a hospital, hospice or elder care facility.
• Be a volunteer.
• Do the yard work for someone unable to do it for themselves.

There are endless examples of kindness.  Please leave a comment and tell me your kindness story.

Life is good!  God is great!  All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

How to be Happy – Genie’s Way

It’s been a rocky journey with a lot of wrong turns and dead ends, but I finally have found the path to happiness or least my path to happiness.  Here is a list of my happiness secrets  – the ones I can remember:

1. Do random acts of kindness.

2. Love yourself

3. Surround yourself with loved ones

4. Be grateful for what you had, what you have and what you will receive

5. Spend quality time with your family and friends

6. Spend quality time with yourself

7. Be of service aka volunteer to help someone or an organization

8. Do something you are passionate about i.e. hobby, travel, project, job etc.

9. Forgive everyone including your self

10. Value what you have

11. Compare yourself of today to past self, not to anyone else

12. Respect everyone even those folks you do not understand

13. Get plenty of sleep

14. Have an active spiritual life

15. Know that happiness comes from within – no one or no material good can make you happy

Life is good!  God is great!  All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

Kindness Rule #1

Life is good!  God is great!  All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

Compassion

Today’s post is a little different.  Using a menu template from Microsoft I have created a menu on “How to be Compassionate.”  Please let me know what you think about it.

Life is good! God is great! All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie

A Smile

It doesn’t take much effort, nor does it have to cost money to give someone the kindness of a smile.  You just don’t know what a difference, your smile may make in changing someone’s perception for the better.  They may no longer feel alone in the world because you took a nanosecond to smile.  GinaV’s post Just a Smile   illustrates this point, she  by a stranger’s smile.  That smile didn’t take much time or effort on the part of the stranger, but it made a huge impact.  You can do the same.

I live in the United States in the South where we Southerners have the tradition of greeting each person we meet with a smile.   When I was a little girl it was commonplace, but in the last couple of decades we have so many people from other areas moving here, who do not have this tradition.  So the smile and greeting isn’t as commonplace as it once was, but it happens enough.   If people understood the impact a smile can have on another, I believe there would be even more folks out there smiling.  Personally, I’m going to continue to smile and greet each person.  Even if I never know the positive impact, my smile makes for someone else, it makes me happy and that’s enough.

Life is good!  God is great!  All is right in my world!

Blessings,

Genie