Month: March 2013

I admit, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the existence of God. But I do believe we live in a benevolent universe. Take this story for example.

4 year-old Meredith wrote a letter to God about the death of Abbey, her family’s beloved dog, wanting to make sure God recognized the arrival of Abbey in heaven. She stamped the letter and, with her mom’s help, dropped it in a mailbox. A couple of weeks later, the family arrived home to find a package on their porch. Someone in the post office had taken it upon her/himself to provide Meredith with an answer.

Among the many things I like about this story is the little girl not being the least bit surprised that God wrote back to her. Something about that makes perfect sense to me.

Read the whole story, including both letters, here.

The more loving we are to others, the more love we experience. Recall the children’s song “Magic Penny” by Malvina Reynolds, the one with the chorus, “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more.”

Access the power of a “magic penny” by noticing more of the every day beauty that surrounds you, including the fresh scent of a flower or the kindness extended when a young person on the bus gives up his seat to someone older. By exercising the loving side of yourself, it becomes stronger and more aware.

And any tendency you have to focus on negativity is weakened.

“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.” -Anthony Trollope

Smile at the grocery store clerk. This is something I think about in my life every day. Although simple in practice, it may have a profound impact on his life. Yours too.

Many people who participate in my kindness classes think they need to complete grand acts of kindness. But what I really want to do is help people not to worry about how profound, significant, or large their actions are. I say to just let their actions come from a place inside that is filled with positive excitement.

Whatever you do, let it radiate from that place.