Well, it was bound to happen eventually. I, friends, was one-upped. In kindness, that is. I was on vacation recently, and I was feeling pretty good about myself. When I travel, especially via airplanes when I know I will be stopping in airports across the country, I pack an abundance of secret notes-- |
The next morning, I strolled along the beach-- one of my favorite things to do. In fact, I have left secret notes along this very beach, many times. This time though, I just sat and watched the waves roll in, and then I walked along a path overlooking the ocean. As I did, a colorful image caught my eye.
Although hard to read in the image here, the words accompanying the drawing read "Don't let the tall weeds cast a shadow on the beautiful flowers in your garden."
I was nearly blown away. Someone had found a way to make the gorgeous view even more beautiful-- by leaving some kindness behind for me (and hopefully, many others) to discover.
It was then I was reminded: the power of kindness is uncontainable. Even when we feel we have done the best we can-- we have made our contribution-- we have done our part, our goodness can reach infinitely further. Your act of kindness may inspire someone else's act of kindness, which may inspire another and yet another act of kindness.
I was also reminded that kindness is a boomerang. What you put out there, you get back. Sometimes, when you need it the most. Ironically, one of the items on my Christmas list this year is a 'calming coloring book.' I thought that with my creative spirit, filling in these complex designs would be a good opportunity for personal meditation. Never did I anticipate being inspired to use these images to spread kindness! And yet, the stranger who left this inspiring note has sparked the desire in me to follow his or her lead. I see this happen on a daily basis among my Kindness Ambassador friends, but it never fails to warm my heart when I see it at work in the "real world."
Sometimes in life, we get caught up in ourselves-- struggles and triumphs alike. What a nice experience it was to be outdone in kindness-- to be inspired-- to be cheered up-- to discover the love of a total stranger.
What about you-- have you ever had an experience like this, where someone one-upped you in kindness? Have you been inspired by someone else's kind actions? I hope you'll share and spread the inspiration!