As I approached the stop sign near our home in the country, I didn’t realize that there was a layer of ice under the snow. You can probably guess the rest of the story. The car slid through the intersection into a small ditch on the other side of the road.

I wasn’t hurt, but I was angry with myself. A day that was supposed to be “Christmas fun” would be spent waiting for a tow truck to pull me out of the ditch.

Since I was not far from my home, I started walking down our country road to share the “no shopping today” news with my wife. I noticed two men who were building my neighbor’s barn and I thought that maybe…just maybe, I could pay them to take a break and try to push me out.

As I approached, I introduced myself and pointed to the car in the distance. Without hesitating, they looked at each other and said, “We can solve that problem!” One of them said, “I’ll get the chain and George, you can drive the backhoe down the road and we’ll have it out in no time!” In the next 30 minutes while I watched helplessly from the sidelines, they had my car out of the ditch and on the road again. To say that I was grateful was an understatement. My Saturday had been saved thanks to two men I’d never met before.

I thanked them, reached into my wallet and handed them a $100. I said, “Please take this. It would have cost me more to call a tow truck and I would have spent my afternoon waiting for it to show.” They both looked at me, and at the same time said, “No way! We wouldn’t consider taking a cent.” Then the one man said, “This was our good deed for the day and we know that you’ll help someone else because we helped you. That’s all we ask.”

I drove away with a wonderful feeling inside, knowing there are people like this in the world. It made my day! But here’s the amazing thing about kindness…from the look on their faces, it made theirs too! Emerson was so right when he said, “One of the most beautiful compensations in life is that no man can help another without helping himself.”

That day provided the inspiration to write the book I simply call, The Power of Kindness.

In doing the research to write the book, I discovered something I had always suspected, but never knew for sure. Here’s what I found…

The great English writer, Aldous Huxley, was a pioneer in the study of philosophies and techniques to develop human potential. In a lecture toward the end of his life, he said this:

“People often ask me…what is the most effective technique for transforming their lives?”

He then said, “It’s a little embarrassing that after years and years of research, my best answer is – just be a little kinder.”

This is the paradox of the power of kindness. It doesn’t feel powerful at all. In fact, it almost feels too simple to be important. But as Huxley said, it is the #1 thing that can transform your life.

I’ve been so blessed to share what I believe through many of the Simple Truths’ books. However, there is nothing, in my opinion, that can top the awesome “power of kindness.”

Why? Because, everyday, through unexpected acts of kindness, you can make a meaningful difference with your life!

Today, I wanted to share one of the many stories from the book. It’s called Paid in Full:

An excerpt from
The Power of Kindness
by Mac Anderson

 

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door-to-door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested from the business office to pass the final billing to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk…”

Dr. Howard Kelly

(Dr. Howard Kelly was a distinguished physician who, in 1895, founded the Johns Hopkins Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Johns Hopkins University. According to Dr. Kelly’s biographer, Audrey Davis, the doctor was on a walking trip through Northern Pennsylvania one spring day when he stopped by a farm house for a drink of water.)

Today, I’m pleased to offer The Power of Kindness with DVD for only $10. Our regular price is $15.95, a 37% savings.

To look inside this inspirational book or to watch the 3-minute movie, just click here.

All the Best,

Mac Anderson Founder, Simple Truths

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Live in Joy!

Lilly

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, ‘What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?’

The young boy was apologetic. ‘Please, mister…. please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do,’ He pleaded. ‘I threw the brick because no one else would stop…’ With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. ‘It’s my brother, ‘he said ‘He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, ‘Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.’

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. ‘Thank you and may God bless you,’ the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:

‘Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!’ God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It’s our choice to listen or not.

~ Author Unknown ~

The last month of the year 2008 is about to begin. It’s an exciting time. Halloween has come and gone, and now we have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve to await. Many will be observing Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

There will be many celebrations and gatherings to come, religious rituals observed, shopping expeditions or nightmares (unless you’re already finished), card and gift exchanging, and many meals shared. At least that will be the case for many.

For others, the season will be a time of sadness, loneliness, want, need, and perhaps, even despair. As we go about our holiday routines, it is worth remembering that not everyone will be celebrating with their usual flair. Many Americans lives are in upheaval. They will be missing loved ones the most during this time, juggling finances to pay their bills, trying to ensure their children receive at least one item on their Christmas lists, worrying about job security, having the funds to pay January’s living expenses, and pondering what 2009 holds in store for them. Others have known a difficult year and don’t hold much hope for the remainder of it.

Every year, we are reminded at this time of year to remember the true meaning of the holiday season. Depending on your religion or faith, it will be different things to different people. However, they are all variations on a theme: love, peace, hope, and generosity of mind and spirit. And, for those who may not practice any religion—formal or personal (spiritual)—it is still worth remembering what matters most to you and not allow yourself to be swept up into the holiday madness.

The following are some ideas to revisit often over the weeks to come. Embrace them or not, but do consider them.

1. Avoid Stress.

Don’t spend more than you can afford, go to too many parties or events, or lose yourself in work. Try to maintain a balance in your life. If you are worried about having a job next year, don’t go on a spending/gift-buying spree you cannot afford for one day in the year. If you find it difficult to accept gifts when you know you cannot afford to reciprocate, tell your family and loved ones you would like to exchange gifts next year when you are more certain of your finances. Accept and extend invitations as appropriate to your schedule. If you have much to accomplish at work, don’t go to parties just because you’ve been invited. Keep your schedule realistic. In addition, work will always be important because it represents your livelihood; however, it is not more important than the people in your life. Make time for them and try to be available to them.

2. Be Generous.

Give to others what you can and give from the heart. If money is an issue, then give your time. Volunteer at a charity organization. Help others whenever you can—one person at a time. This could translate to giving someone a ride home or picking someone up if they’re having car trouble, offering soothing words of comfort to someone who is unhappy, or giving another a spontaneous hug. As always, giving can bring so much more into one’s life than receiving. Offer whatever you can to others. You have no idea how deeply your kindness could be received and appreciated.

3. Be Understanding.

Holidays aren’t happy for everyone. In fact, statistics show that it is during this season that that the suicide rate goes up. So when dealing with others, try to be patient, positive and present during your interactions. Hear what they are saying to you. They may seem fine or happy on the outside, but be facing numerous challenges and struggles you couldn’t even imagine. Remember this especially when dealing with customer service representatives, waiters/waitresses, attendants, and anyone else with whom you come in contact. Let’s hope that no one would ever go home and commit suicide because you lost your temper with him or her. However, what if you’re the one who drives another over the edge? Do you want to take that chance? If you have an issue with someone, speak calmly and honestly on the issue—not on the person’s character or worth to the world.

4. Focus On the Big Picture.

This is one moment, day, week, month out of an entire year and an entire lifetime. It’s natural for some to be difficult or challenging. Don’t let the frustrating ones cause you to lose your balance. Remember at all times the person you want to be. Stay aware and be that person, the together and generous one who takes all things in stride. And, if you do have a bad moment and say or do something you regret, remember it’s never too late to apologize. As someone who once worked with the flying public, I cannot tell you how special it is to have an irate passenger who was rude or clearly dealing with other issues come back and apologize for his or her behavior. Not only does it wipe the slate clean with me, but it tells me much about the person’s character.

5. Have Intentions – Make Them Good!

Have a plan and have things you want to accomplish over the holiday season. Be true to you. Have great fun and don’t over-extend yourself in any way. Don’t spend, eat, drink, or work too much. Enjoy the holidays, being alive, and sharing moments with loved ones. Know your areas of concern and respect them—as well as your limitations and boundaries—as you go through each day and moment of this holiday season.

“LOVE AND YOU SHALL BE LOVED” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

6. FORGIVENESS & REBIRTH It’s a good time to make amends and dissolve old grudges. The gift of forgiveness will warm the hearts of both you and the forgiven. Once you have forgiven, embrace the moment, and let go of all hostility towards the person and incident you are forgiving. Go forward and start anew, a rebirth of your relationship. Do not bring up the subject ever again, just erase it from your memory.

7. ACCEPTANCE & RESPECT Accept your loved ones as they are, do not try to insist they change or do something for their own good. Respect their wishes, way of life, and right to be as unique and individual as you are. Nobody is perfect and no one likes to be told how they should feel or what they should do with their life.

8. COMPROMISE & COOPERATION Give in a little and compromise. It is the holiday season for the whole family, so consider sharing the children, grandchildren, activities and cooperating for the good of holiday. If each family member does cooperate in some way, no one will feel slighted, left out or disappointed.

9. PRAISE & ACKNOWLEDGE An unexpected compliment does wonders to break the ice. Conversations often start when someone acknowledges something good about another person. It is infectious, “I love your dress” and “your home is decorated so beautifully”, will certainly be graciously accepted and appreciated.

10. AFFECTION & WARMTH I confess I am a hugger, even when I meet friends of family or friends for the first time, I shake hands while being introduced, upon departing I usually hug them. I trust my first impression of the person and instinct takes over from there. For your loved ones, hugs and kisses are usually accepted warmly. The best huggers are babies, children and elders. They all accept the warmth of a hug and squeeze without wanting to let go.

11. GRATITUDE & GRACE Count your blessings, and consider the gathering among them. Graciously accept compliments, gifts and hospitality. Think before you comment on a gift you receive. The giver has taken the time and tried their best to please you. Politely thank each person who presents you with a gift.

12. COMPASSION & SUPPORT If you know someone is having an exceptionally hard time dealing with a tragedy or crisis, offer your support and a shoulder if they should need to talk. Spend a few minutes finding out how they are, and make plans to meet in a few days to discuss their situation privately. Then attempt to change the subject to a mutual interest or help them get involved in the activities of the gathering.

13. COMPANIONSHIP & TRUST A friend, sibling, mate or pet are treasured companions. We all need a honest, open and trusting relationship with someone in our lives. Nurture these relationships with honest and open communication and commitment. The gift of loyal companionship is a blessing to embrace and not to be taken for granted.

14. SHARE & INSPIRE Giving something of yourself, sharing your knowledge and teaching by interacting with the world around you, will inspire others to do the same. The blessings of our own personal lives are many and these blessings help us endure and overcome the unexpected trials. Inspiration is a gift we all have to give, share your inner feelings about life, your spirit and acceptance to the world of love around you. Unexpected happiness and love will be your reward.

Tis the season for love, giving, sharing, wisdom, insight, good will, and being true to yourself and others. All the best to you and yours!