Stories Matching 'Advice' Tag (76)Environment Research New Ideas Public Transportation Children Inspiration Teachers Seniors OnThe Road Grocery Store Money Workplace Animals At Home Anonymous Friendship Kindness Kindness of Strangers Courage Small Acts of Kindness Health and Wellness Generosity Sharing Family Respect Neighbors Reconciliation Smile Cards Advice Good Samaritan Giving Money Giving Ability School Church Youth Collective Arts Creative Kindness Random Act of Kindness Homeless Travel/Vacation College/University Holidays Internet Birthday Sharing Food Emergency/Disaster Community Relationships Paying-It-Forward Coffee Shop/Restaurants $100 Kindness Idea Smile Decks Thank You Serendipity Daily Homework--posted by jeri, on Apr 5, 2008
comments (28) | email this | print | permalink 21 Ways To Celebrate Life--posted by JZ, on May 21, 2009
comments (145) | email this | print | permalink Anger Management Gift Economy Style--posted by Puff, on Jun 1, 2008 Several years ago I wrote a book entitled “Anger Work: How to Express Your Anger and Still Be Kind.” I am a clinical psychologist working in private practice and wanted to help people who struggle with emotional pain and trauma. Over years of working with children and adults, I had learned that anger, if expressed correctly, could help people to heal instead of causing more pain and suffering. After I wrote the book, I decided to offer to send it out for free to anyone who couldn’t afford it. Then, a couple of months ago, someone e-mailed and suggested that ... comments (16) | email this | print | permalink A Turtle Who Taught Me Kindness--posted by Michael Chase, on May 26, 2008
comments (59) | email this | print | permalink Where, O Where, Did the Smile Cards Go!?--posted by Brian, on Jun 1, 2008 They went on top of my dresser. About four weeks ago. Some went in the console of my car. A couple were swallowed up in my wallet which I'm quite certain still has my high school ID card. I'm 35. And there they stayed, all around me yet somehow completely hidden. Which, of course, they weren't. I just wasn't looking. I had forgotten to look. More truthfully, my "looking" had shifted from "how can I help?" to "what do I need?" I need more money. I need gas for my car. I need a job. I need some clothes. Some new ... comments (17) | email this | print | permalink How Heavy Is Your Bag?--posted by warmth, on Jun 7, 2008 One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we’d refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy. We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work. The hassle of lugging this around with us ... comments (29) | email this | print | permalink Walk My Path: Love, Respect and Compassion--posted by sethi, on Jun 9, 2008 I am a male who has been egoistic, dominating, angry, jealous, suspicious, and have had a lack of respect for myself and others around me. I have been on an emotional roller coaster. I participated in various transformation workshops, however it made no difference, I remained stuck in my life. As a result, I became separated from my family and reached rock bottom in my life. Having reached there, I resisted transforming myself . After some time I realized the law of universe: what one resists, persists. I then thought to myself, start believing in yourself and it will make a difference in ... comments (31) | email this | print | permalink Who I Am Makes A Difference--posted by Clemens, on Jun 5, 2008 Here is a great photo story about "Who I Am Makes A Difference" that you guys might enjoy! The movie is originally featured at http://www.blueribbonmovie.com and was created by Mary and Craig Reynolds. comments (115) | email this | print | permalink George Carlin's Message--posted by Steve R., on Jun 25, 2008 I was deeply touched by the wise, spiritually profound, and ironically humorous perspectives on life often shared by George Carlin. He apparently wrote this message below shortly after his wife had died. Now, George has passed and we are left with only the memories of his beautiful and funny thoughts. If you're so moved I hope you will pass this message on as a way of honoring the insights and legacy of a wise man who brought great laughter to our world. Thank you for the laughter, love and joy you brought into my life George. A Message by George ... comments (14) | email this | print | permalink Five More Minutes--posted by ytk9z, on Jul 1, 2008
comments (34) | email this | print | permalink Will That Lady Be On The News?--posted by cassiemeadows, on Sep 20, 2008
comments (31) | email this | print | permalink The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale--posted by Claudia Steiner, on Oct 12, 2008 Once upon a time, a long time ago there lived two very happy people called Tim and Maggi with their two children, John and Lucy. To understand how happy they were you have to understand how things were in those days. You see, in those happy days everyone was given, at birth, a small soft Fuzzy Bag. Anytime a person reached into this bag he was able to pull out a Warm Fuzzy. Warm Fuzzies were very much in demand because whenever somebody was given a Warm Fuzzy it made him feel warm and fuzzy all ... comments (13) | email this | print | permalink Life is Like a Bank Account--posted by keepsmiling, on Nov 26, 2008 This story is about a 92 year old, petite, well-poised and proud lady. She is fully dressed each morning by eight, with her hair fashionable coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind. She is moving to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that ... comments (18) | email this | print | permalink Uncovering the Naked Beauty of My Soul--posted by pulse, on Feb 15, 2009
comments (33) | email this | print | permalink The Secret To A Lasting Marriage--posted by sethi, on Mar 27, 2009 When I was a little girl, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burnt toast in front of my Dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my Dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that ... comments (21) | email this | print | permalink Unleashing Ripples of Kindness in a Smile-Covered Prius--posted by Paul, on Apr 14, 2009 We live in challenging times. Fear and frustration seep into our soul, infecting our passion, our productivity, and the people around us. Our joy is diminished, our light is dimmed. We repress our compassion for others and soon our behavior changes as we become less patient, less generous, less kind. Good people share fewer smiles, words, and favors which causes other good people to experience fewer smiles, words, and favors. And on it goes. The good news: even though we live in a world where frustrating and scary things happen, we also live in a world where one person can improve ... comments (14) | email this | print | permalink A Child's Response to Life's Unexpected Gusts--posted by Ashly, on May 18, 2009
comments (22) | email this | print | permalink Choosing to Live Fully--posted by Modestobob, on May 31, 2009
comments (41) | email this | print | permalink Leaving a Little Soul With a Smile--posted by wayfarer, on Jun 17, 2009 I was in the queue for the supermarket checkout earlier today. All of the checkouts were busy and the woman behind me in the queue was not happy! Every word that came out her mouth was negative, a complaint, a moan, a whinge! She wasn't happy with the number of checkouts opened, she wasn't happy with the amount of shopping some people had in their baskets, she wasn't happy because this supermarket didn't have a stand where you could scan your own shopping. She wasn't happy! I listened to her without looking around as I loaded my stuff onto the conveyor belt. ... comments (13) | email this | print | permalink Learning How To Live Happily, Again--posted by Neha, on Jul 12, 2009 One of my patients is a successful businessman and he told me that before his cancer he became depressed unless things went a certain way. Happiness was "having the cookie." If he had the cookie, things were good. If he didn't have the cookie, life wasn't worth a damn. Unfortunately, the cookie kept changing. Some of the time it was money, sometimes power, sometimes sex. At other times, it was the new car, the biggest contract, the most prestigious address. A year and a half after his diagnosis of prostate cancer he sat shaking his head ruefully. "It's like I stopped ... comments (14) | email this | print | permalink Kindness, The New Stimulus Package--posted by BillK, on Jul 26, 2009
comments (19) | email this | print | permalink The Echo Of Life--posted by mifo13, on Aug 3, 2009 The Echo of Life A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams, "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Curious, he yells, "Who are you?" He receives the answer, "Who are you?" Angered at the response, he screams, "Coward!" He receives the answer, "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks, "What's going on?" The father smiles and says, "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain, "I admire you!" The voice answers, "I admire you!" Again the father screams, "You are a champion!" The voice answers, "You are a champion!" The ... comments (23) | email this | print | permalink The Seed That Never Grew--posted by muruga, on Sep 6, 2009 A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you." The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today - one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, ... comments (41) | email this | print | permalink A Season to Renew--posted by sethi, on Oct 8, 2009 As the new season of autumn approaches, let us consider not only the outward changes of renewal in nature as we see the color of leaves change, but also look to the renewals in our relationships and honoring the needed changes that need to take place within them. Listen now, to the words of a revered sage, as he imparts wisdom on refreshing our relationships. Our thoughts,words, and actions often cause harm to others and to us. Renewing our relationships on a regular basis is an important practice. Without reconciliation, we cannot deepen our understanding and we only cause more suffering ... comments (9) | email this | print | permalink A Message That Arrived 4 Years Later, Right On Time--posted by BedBug, on Sep 28, 2009 My teenage daughter has always taken special delight in receiving anything in the mail. She squeals with glee and rips open every envelope and package the moment she takes it in her hands. A few nights ago, when we were sorting through a basket of cards and stationery, she discovered an unopened, brightly colored envelope addressed to her, bearing a postage date of over four years ago. "What is this?" she asked, incredulous. "How did I miss this? How did it get here?" I had idea and was just as curious to see what it could have been. She opened it up and inside was a beautiful greeting card and hand-written ... comments (15) | email this | print | permalink Knowing She Was There Made Us Feel Much Less Alone--posted by brunen, on Nov 18, 2009 When my son was first diagnosed with Autism, it was a very hard time for us. In some ways it was a relief, because we finally had a name for what was going on in our lives, but it also meant years more of uncertainty, and we didn't know what the future held. When I shared the news with my coworkers, I was so surprised and happy to recieve so much immediate love and support from them. They were focused on what we needed, as opposed to how it would affect my ability to make it to work. One coworker in particular was amazing ... comments (6) | email this | print | permalink No Better Time Than Now To Be Happy--posted by warmth, on Jan 1, 2010
comments (16) | email this | print | permalink Finding Happiness By Giving It To Others--posted by sherryberry, on Jan 18, 2010
comments (19) | email this | print | permalink The Bus Ride That Changed My Life--posted by maxx, on Feb 3, 2010 A few years ago I was an employee of an international company that sold computer devices. I had to travel a lot as part of my work. I remember that I was at a stage of my life where I only cared about how to make more money and how to solve technical problems. I was locked in my own world living as a robot that only worked in a mechanical way. On one of my work trips, I came to the airport to take a bus to downtown, as usual. It was the same routine: get into the city, take the bus ... comments (57) | email this | print | permalink A Valuable Lesson Learned From My Child--posted by palthi, on Feb 10, 2010 I always try to encourage my children to be, think and talk positive but one day I was caught not practicing what I preach by my son. My son is 7 ½ yrs old son and he was preparing for a sketch at his school for the occasion of Mother’s day. He was playing the role of an angel. On the evening before the show, we were having a casual conversation while I was preparing dinner in the kitchen. He asked me: “Mum, can we see angels?” As usual, I seized the opportunity to encourage him to be positive and I said: “Yes, ... comments (10) | email this | print | permalink
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I am a recovering alcoholic. Years ago I went into a hospital because of depression. My life was a mess, my husband wanted a divorce. My daughter was doing drugs. Everything in my life was coming apart including me.
My girlfriend's father came to see me. He was a big, barrel chested Irishman, who loved wearing Nike sweatshirts that said "JUST DO IT".
Upon my release from the hospital, he began to take me to AA meetings, and we would meet for coffee, or go to his house where he and his Alcoholics Anonymous member wife slowly helped me back to ... 
After Nancy Rothstein's son, Josh, passed away unexpectedly, she was seeking a way to offer a tribute for family and friends to honor his birthday. With each passing birthday, she adds one more item to the list.
Last April 16 would've been Josh's 21st birthday, and true to her tradition, Nancy shared these 21 ways to celebrate life:
Smile. Smiling makes you and those around you feel good. If you don’t feel good, a smile can trick your brain into feeling better.
Eat ice cream.
Run on the beach. If you can’t physically do this, use your imagination.
Call someone who is ill or lonely. ... 
Life is good, really good. Sometimes I feel like the good karma train picked me up, and simply refuses to let me off. I have an amazing wife, a teenage son that makes me glow with pride, good health, a wonderful family and the best friends a guy could ask for. I have a lot to be grateful for. For many years now, “thank you” has become my meditation as I start each day.
But the truth is, life was not always this good. It wasn’t all that long ago, when the resume’ of my life looked radically different. At ... 
While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground. "That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide. "He's a fine looking boy" the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater."
Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son. "What do you say we go, Todd?" Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes."
The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content. Minutes ... 
When I was about four or five, I was walking down the street with my Mum one day. Ahead of us, an elderly lady was walking slowly when suddenly she tripped and fell off the curb and couldn't get up.
My Mum made a call to an ambulance to come help her and we waited with the old lady until they arrived. She thanked my Mum and we continued walking. I turned to my mother and asked, "Will that lady be on the news? Will you be on the news for helping her?"
My Mum explained to me that people fell down a lot and that it wasn't the ... 
There is a story that I want to share with you. It may not change your life, nor may it move you to tears. But there is a chance that it may touch that space in you from where the fountain of life springs from, in all of us. The place from where it all began. Where the entire history of mankind, of the universe, we can all feel inside of us - in the content of our souls.
This was a few years back when I had left for the United States from India to study at a prominent ... 
Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a Mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding onto a string that was attached to a helium balloon.
All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.
But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!"
I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something.
Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with ... 
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, 'If I were any better, I would be twins!' He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the ... 
"We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married,
have a baby, then another. Then we're frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We'll certainly be happy when they're out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.
The truth is, there's no better time to be happy ... 
A young lady complained to her counselor that she felt that her whole life was empty and had no meaning to her. The counselor saw an old lady who cleaned the office floors and called her over. She told the young lady that this old cleaning lady was happy and asked her to explain how she had found that happiness.
The old lady put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story:
"Well, some time back, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I was devastated. I had nobody... I had nothing ... | Home | About Us | Our Friends | Get Involved | Contact us |  |  |  |