The Kindness Flash #03 This month’s theme: PERSPECTIVE – the power of positive thinking and discovering the silver lining to every cloud. Everyday Kindness: Our Warm and Fuzzy Kindness Ambassador Amanda Yates was on her way out of the bathroom when she heard someone crying in one of the stalls. Caught off guard and awkwardly placed in this position, she didn’t know what to do. By Amanda Yates // North Carolina, USA • Read More >> Everyday Kindness: Deanna’s Calling Card of Kindness As she walked into the pharmacy, Deanna saw a young man sitting on the ground in tattered blankets – a sight that unfortunately is not so uncommon in New York City. By Deanna Liderman // New York City, USA • Read More >> Kind Connection: Marwa Ben Njima Sometimes we find love and acceptance in the most unexpected places, Marwa Ben Njima, called ‘the butterfly ambassador’ by many, found a new family the day she decided that she wanted to learn more about the Life Vest Inside Kindness Ambassadors. Get to know more about Marwa and see if there’s a way you can contribute advice or guidance to help Marwa fulfill her Kindness Wish! Read the full interview on the blog >> Good News When the financial crisis hit Greece in 2009, Konstantinos, a local man, was broke and faced hardship like he hadn’t faced before. Not only that, he saw children in the streets fighting over rotten food. But from the struggle of despair came kindness from his heart. Konstantinos decided to see the silver lining. While he couldn’t magically cure the financial woes everyone was facing, what Konstantinos decided to do was see the silver lining and try to make a difference. He began cooking huge meals for those who needed it – all for free. And just like any other act of kindness, it can spread! As he continued doing this, others in the market would donate food for meals. By no means is Konstantinos rich, except in his heart. Whether it be a small bump in the road or a large mountain to climb, obstacles present a challenge to us – but not only to overcome them, but to bring out something better because of them. Perspective allows us to see that. As Samuel Grafton once said, “A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye.” Perspective isn’t seeing the world through rose colored glasses when things are going bad. It’s about seeing the opportunities to rise above adversities; it’s finding the potential in in situations with little hope; Perspective isn’t about ignoring the trials and tribulations we may face, it’s about seeing that there is still hope and using that as an opportunity to brighten the world. Kindness Quote “A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn’t see the clouds at all—he’s walking on them.” ~ Leonard Louis Levinson Act of Kindness We may not be able to prevent the obstacles, mishaps and curve balls from coming our way. But determining how those hardships impact you is a choice we can all make. The next time life throws a curve ball your way, take a glass half full approach and find a sense of calm, knowing that their is an untapped strength inside of you, that you are on the verge of discovering. Question of the Month Have you ever been on the verge of giving up and calling it quits? How did you gain perspective and what inspired you to keep on pushing forward? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Kindness Media Book of the Month A message from our Partner: Character Day: Join us on Sept 22, 2016 for the third annual Character Day! Character Day is an exciting global day where students and educators from around the world screen short award-winning films on the science behind social and emotional learning and character development from different perspectives. Students then dive into free printed discussion materials and resources rooted in evidence-based research that explore the questions, who am I? Who do I want to be in the world, and how can I develop those character strengths (resilience, grit, empathy, courage, humor, curiosity, etc)? All participants are also invited to join an online global video conversation that unifies all the events around the world. Last year Character Day saw over 6,700 events in schools, classrooms, and organizations with people joining in from 125 countries. Your Character Day event can look and feel any way you would like it to be…..any time of the day, anywhere, and any size. Some schools do campus-wide assemblies, other teachers do specific events in their classrooms. Companies and organizations plan short events throughout the day. The creativity is up to you, and the materials are all free (Films, Periodic Table of Character Strengths Poster, printed discussion materials, a robust online hub of resources and lessons plans and an online conversation with leading experts on Character education from multiple perspectives). You can watch the acclaimed films “The Science of Character” (8 min) and “The Adaptable Mind” (11 min) to get a better sense of what types of films will be shown on Character Day. Once you sign up, there will be monthly webinars to hear others talk about their inspiring experiences and ideas for hosting different kinds of Character Day events. All you need to do is register (which takes 2 minutes) and all of these materials will be provided for you. Please sign up at CharacterDay.org! Subscribe to The Kindness Flash | Archives
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