Kindness is a powerful energy. It can move mountains; not in a physical sense, but it can remove the barrier people build around that separate them from love.
For years, I was the receiver of great generosity from many people. I still do. I remember Wayne Dyer talking about giving money to homeless people on his birthday. It was very generous of him, but he was most generous with his work. His teachings have been priceless to me and many others.
Recent research has found that the person who helps others receives more benefits than the person who gets the help. The benefits are mental, physical, and biological. The people in the study who were generous were found to have an increased sharpness of their mental ability, were healthier than before, and produced more endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin – the hormones responsible for health and vitality.
These are good reasons to practice kindness, but there is a better one. Acts of kindness are responsible for opening the energy of the heart of the giver, the receiver and even the observers. It has a multiplier effect. Even if we don’t witness, hearing of kindness can help us feel gushy inside. The heart energy heals the body, mind, and spirit. It is able to create deep and loving connections between total strangers and permeate the space lingering for longs period of time.
This week Monica (I changed her name to protect her privacy) shared her act of kindness story with me. She left work, and before going home, she stopped at a gas station to fill up her tank. When she pulled in, she saw an elderly woman with the hood popped, and smoke coming out of the engine. Monica knew that the elderly woman’s car was overheating. Monica had a fair share of old cars in her life and knew what to do to get the car running again. She added water to the car and stayed with the woman until the car was ready to drive.
Before they parted ways, the woman offered Monica $10 for her troubles. Monica refused thinking she was just a good citizen, but the woman insisted. Monica gracefully took the $10. Since she had the additional $10, she bought the money’s worth in scratch-off tickets. Monica was so surprised when she won $600. She never wins anything. Monica went to cash the ticket, but the gas station didn’t have $600 in cash to pay. She left, and before getting home, Monica stopped at the gas station near her home and preceded to cash the winning scratch-off ticket.
The gas station attended told her that he couldn’t cash the ticket because he had only $400 to pay. Monica decided to take the $400 and buy $200 in scratch-off tickets. Yes, you guessed it. She won again. This time, she won $652. Coincidence? I don’t think so. When we practice kindness, our energy is wide open to receive.
Here are 5 acts of kindness to open your energy to receive:
One: Give money to the homeless.
It is not your business what they will do with the money. If you have it, give it to them. You don’t wait to be called to do it. You can set the intention that the money goes to food or shelter, but release any expectations from it. Remember that nothing comes to us if we don’t deserve.
Two: Donate your excess.
Open your closet, pantry, and garage and find all the items taking space in your life that could be utilized by someone. Give it to churches, non-profit organizations, food pantry, etc. Your “excess” can be someone “enough.”
Three: Pay the tolls or a meal for a total stranger.
Donate the change to the charities sponsored by the store where you shop. There is plenty of opportunities to be generous. Be a vessel for kindness and the beneficiary of your generosity will be likely to do it too.
Four: Treat yourself.
Take yourself out lunch or dinner, or get a spa treatment. Don’t wait to reward yourself after doing something nice or accomplishing a big goal. Do it just because. Kindness starts at home.
Five: Donate your time to a charity cause.
Pick a cause. It doesn’t matter which one, but pick one. I suggest that you select one that means something to you, this way you are likely to continue with your support. I work with the victims of domestic violence. Use your resources to make a statement about what you care about it even if you have only $5 to share.
These are only suggestions. You can come up with your own acts of kindness. You may not gain $1252 from an act of kindness, but you will open your heart energy. When the energy of your heart is open, there are infinite possibilities for wellness, happiness, and prosperity.
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