Can you make a difference?
Greetings,
Can one person, you, make a difference?
I've been wondering, "What can one person do to change a troubled world."
I found a few ideas from Brad Aronson in his book, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time. Brad describes the small acts that helped him and his wife, Mia, when she faced a two-year treatment for leukemia. That story alone will inspire you with ideas of how small acts can have a powerful impact.
Brad describes his life of giving in small ways and shares examples of ordinary people doing ordinary things that make an extraordinary difference. What I learned is that even when we think our small gesture touches just for one life--a ripple effect we never see stretches further than we could imagine.
The book will uplift you and give you hope that we haven't abandoned humankind-ness. Here are a few thoughts from Brad to ponder today and always.
In describing the people whose stories he shares:
"The heroes in HumanKind don't command an army of helpers or have an abundance of free time. They're everyday people who focus on what they can do to make a difference."
How much is enough to make a difference?
"If we do what we can, that will be enough. No expression of love is wasted, and even the smallest gestures tend to go much further than we think they will."
Just start by saying yes.
"Saying yes to others can make all the difference...And when we say yes to ourselves, we can give ourselves permission to open doors that others can follow us through."
And finally, "There's no lack of opportunity for any of us to do good in the world."
Inspiration worth sharing . . .
Brad Aronson's HumanKind-ness reminded me of why kindness is a lifestyle.
Children's books can teach adults as well as young minds. Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller will give you more kind ideas, or you can watch and listen to the book here.
Enjoy this Spotify playlist with songs to inspire your kindness. One of my favorites is Randy Newman's You've Got a Friend in Me, and you don't want to miss this four-year-old singing with her dad.
Inspiring words . . .
"You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." —Jane Goodall
Be and become #yourbest today and every day.
With gratitude,
Kathryn
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