Tag Archive for: Kindness

This is the summer of Kindness. You have been challenged! Take part in the 2018 Summery Kindness Challenge. Kindness1It is really easy, but you need to stay dedicated. Just complete 1 kind act daily through the end of June! You got this, right? SaWEET!

Go to https://idontstink.com/kindness-challenge/ and see the details. We have a kindness meter that will grow with each kind deed. When you create a free account, you will have your very own kindness meter too! No pressure, no emails (unless you sign up for Daily Positive Points) so you don’t have to worry about SPAM from us. But it isn’t required that you have an account, it’s just fun stuff watching the meter grow. All you have to do is commit to deliver a single kind act a day. That’s it!

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” -Princess Diana

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” -Mark Twain

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” -William Arthur Ward

“Be kind, don’t STINK!” Sweetie (from idontstink.com)

With love and gratitude,
Bill

Here are a few more of my favorite Kindness Quotes:

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” -Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“Always be a little kinder than necessary.” -James M. Barrie

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.” -Theodore Isaac Rubin

“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” -Henry James

“A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees.” -Amelia Earhart

With love and gratitude,
Bill

Here are a few of my favorite Kindness quotes to go along with the 2017 Kindness Challenge:

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” -Princess Diana

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” -Mark Twain

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” -William Arthur Ward

“Remember there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” -Scott Adams

Love, Kindness and Gratitude,
Bill

Hey you. You there! You have been challenged! Take part in the 2017 Summery Kindness Challenge. Kindness1It is really easy, but you need to stay dedicated. Just complete 3 kind acts daily for the next 21 days! SaWEET! You can do that, right?

Go to https://idontstink.com/kindness-challenge/ and see the details. We have a kindness meter that will grow with each kind deed. When you create a free account, you will have your very own kindness meter too! No pressure, no emails (unless you sign up for Daily Positive Points) so you don’t have to worry about SPAM from us. But it isn’t required that you have an account, that just the fun stuff watching the meter grow. All you have to do is commit to do 3 kind acts a day. That’s it!

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” -Princess Diana

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” -Mark Twain

“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.” -William Arthur Ward

With love and gratitude,
Bill

Today’s Message

I always ask kids what they would do if someone laughed at them because they have purple hair. Inevitably, they giggle as their hand goes to their hair, and they say, “But I don’t have purple hair!” Exactly. It’s not what people say that hurts. It’s what we say to ourselves when they’re done talking that hurts.

Today’s Quote

“Negative thoughts stick around because we believe them, not because we want them or choose them.” ~ Andrew J. Bernstein

banner_3Summer has finally arrived and the kiddos are all around looking for things to do.  How about making a difference in their lives by practicing kindness?  This teaches our kids that they too can make a difference in the world.  We all may not change the world in minute but by practicing kindness with our children, we are having a positive impact in the world.

Starting on Monday, June 15th through July 31st, join me and all the ‘lil Stinkers from idontstink.com and make kindness a daily routine. We challenge you to practice at least one kind deed per day.  You can do that, right?

To learn more and to get involved in the Summer Kindness Challenge, go to the Kindness Challenge page on our site. Want to participate but not sure how? Go to homepage and click on the Kindness Meter. Create an account for FREE and you will have your very own Kindness Meter! Your meter feeds the public one that now has OVER 10,000 kind deeds logged! Whoa! There are over 200 kind deed suggestions in 8 categories.

Enjoy your summer and enjoy doing kind deeds daily!
With gratitude,
Bill

Isn’t it interesting that when your mind is focused on something you get to experience it almost immediately? Well, it sure happened to me this morning. Yesterday I issued the “Give A Little Love Kindness Challenge” so opportunities to offer kindness is my focus right now. I had a great opportunity to offer kindness and as I reflected on it, I realized there were some similarities.  Let me explain.

This morning I went to work out at the club at 6:00 AM. I finished up in time to catch my wife before she left for work but on the way home something changed that. On the opposite side of a red light, a lady in a truck was stalled. She got out of the truck, let people know behind her that the tuck wouldn’t start. When I got the green light to turn, I pull into a bank close by to see what I could do to help. As I approached her, I noticed that she had a toddler in a car seat and was worried with him being in the stalled car. I told her that I could try to push it to a side street to get it off the busy main 6 lane road.

She was very grateful someone stopped to help her but it got better. As I was standing there I saw a car pull over. 3 Hispanic guys came running over to help. With their help, we were able to push the car into the gas station and out of harms way. They drove off and we thanked them profusely. It didn’t stop there though. The lady did not have her purse with her so she did not have a phone. I let her borrow mine but didn’t connect with anyone. I then got her truck to start and offered to follow her home to make sure she and her child were safe if it stopped running again.  Then I noticed it was spraying transmission fluid. Smoke was pouring out but I also noticed it was running hot. I told her it was too much of a risk to try to drive it home.

I then offered to give her a ride home. She accepted so I went into the gas station to let them know that we were leaving it there but someone would check on it later. I could tell that the lady was about to lose it so I let her know that I had been in the same situation many times. I let her know that my wife’s car had broken down before and had to rely on strangers to help when I couldn’t get there. We talked all the way back and upon leaving, she said, “I cannot thank you enough. I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t come along. I wish I had something to give you.” I immediately said that even if she had, I wouldn’t have accepted it anyway. I told her that maybe the truck needs a little TLC and would be up and running in no time.

What I find interesting is that another time when I issued a Kindness Challenge, I had a kindness opportunity involving a car.  It was a flat tire that time. (See that blog post by clicking here) The funny thing is that it was also auto related.  I now know where to go to practice “automotive” kindness and maybe you can go there too. It is at the Shell gas station on 2499 and Sagebrush. Maybe I will see you there!

Kindness_Opportunity

With peace and kindness,
Bill

banner_3Simple acts of kindness have profound effects on our bodies, our minds and others observing the kindness. This creates what I like to call the “Kindness Ripple” that reaches out and can go viral with the right momentum. What I get excited about is that there is actually scientific research about the positive benefits of kindness. It directly has a positive effect on our immune system, reduces stress, relieves depression, decreases restrictions of our lungs (Realy? Sweet!), and I could go on and on and on. While I was thinking about what kind of challenge I was going to issue this month I ask my wife and mother-in-law tonight at dinner. My wife starts singing, “Give a little love and it all comes back to you…” That’s it! Perfect!

I find it fascinating of the power of kindness. I often issue “kindness challenges” to help bring awareness to this powerful gift that rests within each of us. The Kindness Challenge that has been issued for June 23, 2014, is a little different. I really want to build momentum to keep the kindness challenge going on rather than setting a specific date to end it. I am using my fan page on Facebook so you can post comments, like and share the kindness message and via my Twitter account. I will be posting scientific research about the kindness effect on us in new blog posts regularly. I will be sending positive quotes and messages daily through my Daily Positive Points plus posting suggestions for kindness daily on my blog and social media. Lastly, you are encouraged to take advantage of the Kindness Meter on this site to track and spread your kindness. It is 100% free and you get your very own kindness meter when you register. All you have to do is go to idontstink.com and “Click Here To Sign Up for a FREE ACCOUNT” at the right and near the bottom of the home page. Once registered, you can click on the Kindness Meter and are presented with over 200 kind deeds to log. Check it out when you have a minute. As you log your kind deeds, you might get a surprise from Sweetie at some point while logging them.

With all the stories about bullying going around these days, we have to do something. I believe that kindness is the answer. Let’s practice it daily and schedule it on our calendars if necessary but be sure to practice kindness today. When tomorrow comes, practice it again.

It only takes a little effort to do kindness so why not participate today? Join me in giving a little love and watch it all come back to you!
With Peace and Kindness!
Bill

The consequences of low self esteem are brutal, disturbing and disgusting. I can’t say it any softer than that. There are alarming trends these days that need to be address right now.  We cannot wait another single day.

The statistics tell us all we need to know:

  • 90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying.
  • 87% of students said shootings are motivated by a desire to “get back at those who have hurt them.”
  • 75% of girls with low self-esteem reported engaging in negative activities like cutting, bullying, smoking, drinking, or disordered eating.
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death in younger adolescents in the US (10–14 year olds).

Yea, I know, unbelievable but I prefer to describe these statistics as UNACCEPTABLE! There are many, many reasons why this is happening but that is not the question we should be asking. Instead, we should be asking “How can we make a difference in these kid’s lives?” I believe one of the things we can do to have the biggest impact with our kids is to teach them how to develop high self esteem.

There is one really good example that I learned from Jack Canfield to teach self esteem and I use it all the time. While don’t recall the exact wording, it was something like this. If someone walked up to you and said, “you have blue hair” when in fact it is brown, you would laugh it off and ignore them or think they were crazy. However, if on the other hand, someone comes up to you and said, “you are insensitive, mean, ugly and disgusting.” you might feel a little annoyed or even angry. So what is the difference? Here’s the key: It’s not what the person said to that made you angry, it is what you are telling yourself when they stop talking. This is a very powerful lesson and it is for that reason I use it so often.

Here are 5 ways to increase kid’s self esteem (and our own too!):

  1. Eliminate Perfection – This lofty goal only sets us up for failure. There is no need to be perfect and you know, it’s perfect that we are not perfect! We need to teach kids (and ourselves) to do the best that we can given the skills we have in the moment. Sure, I would have done a lot of things differently as a kid if I only knew then what I know now. That is one of the primary reasons why I teach kids these lessons so it will have a major impact on their lives moving forward. One clarification, I did say do the best we can but that does not mean not putting forth the appropriate effort.
  2. Track Negative Thinking – One of the main issues of low self esteem is a very strong negative outlook on ourselves and life in general. A simple technique I used for quite some time was tracking my negative thinking. I even designed a kids version in my latest book STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS as well as added the exercise Take Out Your STINKIN’ Trash on this website to help others. When you become aware of negative thinking, you can do something about it. The problem is that most of our negative thinking is unconscious and is actually what we are using to make decisions daily.
  3. Set Simple Goals – I know, I know, setting goals, how boring is that? Well let me tell you, it is one of the best ways to build self esteem. The goals I am talking about are not huge goals, but more of stepping stone goals. Start off small, build some success and start feeling better about our accomplishments. This builds momentum and encourages us to set another goal. With each achievement comes with it more momentum.
  4. Practice Kindness – One of the easiest ways to increase your self esteem is to practice kindness. Helping and being of assistance to others helps us feel good about ourselves and that is precisely what self esteem is for. Did you know that this current website was built around kindness? I actually designed the full site around a kindness meter on the homepage. Check it out when you have a chance.
  5. Do the Right Thing – There is a book I read that was simply amazing. It is called The Four Agreements and it really puts things into perspective for me. It was so simple. After reading it, I decided to use these four agreements in my life but I also added a fifth one, Do the Right Thing. By this I mean that we know what the right thing to do is most of the time. A lot of times it means doing the much harder thing but when you practice doing what you feel is right, you will certainly build a higher self esteem.

When you incorporate these 5 ways of building self esteem in your life and the kids you know, everyone will feel better about themselves. Sometimes it is the simple things that make the biggest difference in our lives. Start with one of the five ways and see if it makes a difference in your life. If it does, then practice more of it and teach it to children. They deserve it because they are all special and lovable.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” –George Eliot
With gratitude and peace,
Bill

Since this week’s Daily Positive Points is focusing on Happiness, I thought it would be a great idea to list some ideas for creating a happier life. Sure, there are lots of ideas, books, research, seminars, and education on happiness but I wanted to focus in on what specifically works for me. When I am down or struggling, there is a formula that use to help me get my “stink out” so to speak.

When I was rewriting my children’s book, STINKIN’ THINKIN’ STINKS, I discovered that the troubles facing our youth was very overwhelming and started to get me down. For example, when I was researching information about bullying and adolescent suicide, I was simply shocked and speechless. I simply felt bad, dirty and sad with story after story that could have been prevented. I would find myself in funk quickly and I didn’t realize it at the time. I learned that I needed to reset myself after doing research like this in the future. The end result is the formula below.

5 Steps to Happiness
1) Get Quiet – When I am down or getting run down, one of the things that has a major impact on my attitude and happiness is getting in a quiet place and cleanse my thoughts. It is more like a data dump to make way for positive thinking. It is easy to say but sometimes harder to do. If my mind is racing out of control, I go to step #2.

2) Exercise – Anytime you are feeling any emotion that doesn’t feel good, you are certainly impacting your happiness. I find that going to the gym to work out helps me clear my mind and get out the anger and frustration. After it, I am much more relaxed and can open my mind to receive good thoughts. Once I am there, I can change my focus to positive thoughts and return to a happier state.

3) Track Positive/Negative Thoughts – Tracking positive and negative thoughts has been one of the most useful tools I have ever used. I even have exercises on this website to do this. I have said for many, many years that you can’t fix something if you are not aware of it. These exercises help you become aware of your thoughts so you can do something about them.

4) Gratitude – When I am not experiencing happiness, I often find that I am focused on the wrong thing. One great exercise I do when I become aware of this, I create a “gratitude circle” in my mind’s eye.  This helps me get out of my own head if you know what I mean. It goes something like this: I close my eyes and start giving thanks to my immediate family (my wife, son, daughter-in-law & dog) and I envision it as a circle. I then expand the circle out to my family and my wife’s family. Each time, I keep expanding until it goes out of the city, state, country, continent, the world and then the universe. I always feel much better about my current circumstances.

5) Kindness – My absolute go-to step for creating happiness is kindness. I have discovered over the years that when I deliver kindness, I feel better and am much happier. I offer a Kindness Challenge once a quarter to help remind everyone to practice kindness for a certain length of time. However, this challenge is really to myself to remind ME to do kindness. Often during these challenges I will ask myself, “what kindness have I delivered today?” This resets my thinking of helping others and I feel great after committing random acts of kindness. Try it, you’ll not only like it, you will LOVE it!

If you want live a happier life, try anyone of the 5 steps I use. In fact, why not try them all and see how you feel? Please post your comments on this page or send me a message via the “Ask Sweetie” barrel.
With peace, happiness and gratitude,
Bill