As I was walking to the business building's cafe to study for finals, I let my thoughts wonder freely. I found myself thinking about simple joys and happiness. one of the things that makes me the happiest are random acts of kindness. I can't say that I have encountered these good deeds many times in my 19 years of life. What I can say is that every time I have experienced a random act of kindness by a stranger, or even an acquaintance, I have always experienced an overwhelming sentiment of happiness, gratitude, love, and just good energy all around. It's amazing how paying for someone's coffee, helping a stranger load their groceries, helping someone pick up something they have dropped, or just holding open a door and smiling at someone can affect a person's day and even outlook on society in general. I find today that we cars so egocentric that we do not even notice what is going on in the world around us. While walking down the street, we are too busy communicating via our cellphones, blocking communication via our ipods, and just drifting away from reality by submersing ourselves in our own thoughts (I'm guilty of all of the above). We rarely notice people in our surroundings, let alone look up and connect with them via a smile or hello. As we drift through the holiday season, I encourage you to connect with people in your surroundings. I also encourage you to participate in random acts of kindness. I truly believe that "paying it forward" not only brightens the soul of the receiver but also that of the giver. I encourage you to try it. You may just find a new kind of joy that money cannot buy.
The following video is a breast cancer awareness video made by staff at Providence Saint Vincent Medical Center. I don't think it strictly classifies as a random act of kindness, however, this simple act has affected a lot of people who are going through the struggle of fighting breast caner or by friends and families of victims and survivors (some of the reply posts are touching).
I hope you guys have a great week. Good luck on finals.
Love : Phoebe
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Pay It Forward..
Posted by Phoebe at 5:58 PM
3 comments:
I saw this earlier this morning and was actually gonna SEND it to you... i think i forgot though. oh well, it found its way to you. I think it does categorize as a random act of kindness as well. :)
HOLLA
-SMDR
yeah..i posted it on facebook yesterday and my cousin who lives in portland posted it awhile ago..but i think its just great. I love people sometimes lol
I went to the bathroom in the classroom building the other day and unexpectedly found a girl sitting on the floor balling her eyes out. I didn't know this girl, but as I was getting tissues to blow my nose (TMI I know, but whatever), I thought to myself: just ask. So, I asked her if she was okay and I got the typical answer of "I'm fine". Even though I didn't help much, I feel like me asking her was a random act of kindness. Seeing this girl balling, maybe cause of a bad grade? break up? stress?, triggered something inside me and it felt good to act upon it.
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