It Is More Blessed to Give !

Acts of Kindness

The Bible states that” it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). There are those who may think that money is the only thing that they can give, but there are millions of other ways that we can reach out to touch the lives of others. Some managers of organizations have started to put into practise this Biblical quote at their workplaces, by encouraging their workers to find different ways to show kindness to their co-workers. Some of these organizations have even launched what is known as “Acts of Kindness” campaigns.

An act of kindness is simply doing a kind deed to another person who could be known or not known to you, and not expecting a return of that favour from the receiver. As the economic situation continues to worsen around the globe, the tendency or temptation to keep whatever we have accumulated for ourselves becomes even more pronounced; the feeling that this is all mine, and no one is going get any because I have sweated and toiled too hard to achieve it! But, that kind of mentality will only keep you poor, there is no joy in hoarding. In fact, there is a secret to receiving more; and that is to give.

Some School Boards have now launch their acts of kindness campaigns. I know of one in particular, that is challenging students to do 1000 acts of kindness in a month. Teachers are sold on the idea, and they are getting their students”turned” onto the idea of doing kind deeds for others. I am anxious to see how many schools will beat that target. Doubtless there are many individuals who are making a difference in the lives of others every day by the little acts of kindness that they do; and you might be able to name some of these individuals. Here are two individuals that I think have made lasting impact on the lives of some the less fortunate in our world.

Mother Teresa

How many of you remember dear Mother Teresa? She was living a comfortable middle class life, and she gave it up to live and work among the poorest of the poor in Calculta. She served the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying in India for 45 years. As a result of her commitment to serving the poor, many organizations and individuals are inspired by her life. She has left a rich legacy for mankind that is far above and beyond monetary value.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah was born to a teenager in Mississippi. Despite her hard and rough early childhood and teenage life, she is now one of the richest and most famous talk show host today. She started the Oprah’s Angel Network to support charitable projects and non-profit organizations around the world. Today, Oprah continues to seek out ways to help those who are less fortunate.

Ways We Can Show Acts of Kindness

There are millions of ways to show kindness to others. These are just a few ideas. How about:

· Paying for the coffee of the person who is standing at the back of the line in a coffee shop

· Raking the neighbour’s leaves

· Sending a kind note to someone who is consider mean by almost eveyone

· Clearing the snow from your neighbour’s driverway when they are at work

· Baby sit for a couple so that they could spend an evening together

· Cooking a meal for your neighbour who lives alone

· Smiling at the person who did not smile at you

· Write a note of appreciation to someone who has been working very hard

Let’s start today to affect the lives of others by doing one act of kindness one day at a time!