Category Archives: mitzvahs

Random Acts of Kindness Week – February 13-19, 2012

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Tomorrow, is the first day of Random Acts of Kindness Week started years ago by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. I love the fact that this week falls several weeks after the holiday season because by now we are back into our daily routine of life and can sometimes forget about that spirit of giving that is so prevalent during the month of December.

This week, is the perfect opportunity to rekindle that spirit of giving by focusing on the daily actions each of us can take to make a difference in our little corner of the world. It doesn’t have to be heroic, in fact the best ones usually aren’t. Just begin to look for opportunities that you can be generous with your time and your heart and see what happens. This week commit to smiling more, holding the door open, surprising someone with a kindness or helping a stranger. Once you begin to “look” for opportunities to do and give more you will notice them more frequently

For more suggestions, check out my 2012 A Mitzvah A Day page, where I have been listing a daily mitzvah every day since January 1st. This should give you dozens of other suggestions.The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is always an amazing resource as well.

Invite your family, co-workers, friends from school, church and synagogue to join you. Maybe you want to even make it a friendly competition. Who can do 25 kindnesses this week? Who can do more?

I’d love to hear from you about some of the great stories that come up for you while you are participating in RAK week. When the 1,000 Mitzvahs book launched I asked others to joined me in their own mitzvah projects – committing to do their own mitzvahs – I’ve heard from some recently telling me how the project is affecting them.

“I’m more aware of when I’m doing something kind. There are certain things I’ve done routinely and now I realize they are acts of kindness. That makes me more aware of how my actions can better someone’s day. Conversely, I’m increasingly aware of how my attitudes and actions could adversely affect someone’s mood or day.”

“I find I am giving people the benefit of the doubt routinely.”

“I’m living more purposefully and enjoying myself much more. Writing down the acts of kindness I perform each day (I just make a list, I’m not writing anything else) has changed my attitude toward myself. It has actually given me a chance to appreciate myself.”

Participating in Random Acts of Kindness Week is a win win for everyone. This is the perfect week for you to join in something positive and simple that will have lasting benefits. I hope you’ll join us!

Supporting a girl, a troop and a community, through Girl Scout Cookies

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I always forget that it’s Girl Scout Cookie time until a neighbor girl or two knocks on my door to see if I’ll support her cookie drive. Then I start noticing girls and their troops outside of supermarkets and stores. How many Girl Scouts have come to you the past week or so asking if you’d support their Girl Scout Cookie drive? Do you realize that even if you have already bought cookies, or don’t even eat cookies you can still support the girls and their troop by buying at least one box and donating it? This year I noticed for the first time that I could check the donate box, supporting the girls while not consuming all of the calories myself…

This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned the Girl Scout Cookie drive. Last year, I wrote a post about this topic and explained what the Girl Scout mission supports in case you don’t already know.

On Friday,  I received a lovely email from my friend Cynthia who has known me through the mitzvah project and recently shared my new book with her 8-year-old daughter Emma. Her daughter had called to see if I would buy some cookies from her this year.  It was her first year in Girl Scouts.

Cynthia says, ” I have to tell you a quick story, so you know about the continuing impact you have.  I told Emma you left a message and that although you had already purchased cookies from another girl scout, that you still wanted to buy a box to donate.  She said, and I quote “Mom, that’s one of those Mitzvah things isn’t it?”  I told her absolutely and that you didn’t stop doing Mitzvah’s just because you reached your goal of 1,000.  She then said to me “We will have to make sure to donate some boxes.”  I said are you willing to spend your own $4.00 to pay for one of the donated boxes and she said “Of course Mom, I can do Mitzvah’s too!”  Emma’s troop chose The Good Neighbor House for their donated cookies.”

What a lovely reminder that our actions can inspire another.

Today, seek out a Girl Scout and buy at least one box of cookies, plan to give it away or donate to someone who otherwise might not be able to buy a box. It will be a fun and delicious way to do a mitzvah.

Don’t wait to be asked…

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A close friend emailed me a story that she just had to share. It’s a lovely example of noticing a friend in need and helping without being asked. It’s a reminder I  appreciated since I don’t always think to just suggest or offer something I know I  can do to help a friend.

Here’s the story: On Sunday night, I was checking out at Albertsons when I hear my friend L call my name.  She leaves what she is doing, walks up to me and asks me how I am doing.  I tell her that my husband is in the hospital as well as my dad.  It has been an eventful weekend.  She listens with a concerned heart and then we chit chat for two minutes and I leave the store.  An hour later I get a call from my friend, “I am bringing over dinner”, not, “What can I do for you”, or “when can I make you guys dinner”, straight to the point, “I will be there in seven minutes, it’s a pasta dish”.  I feel loved and relieved.  Why?  Because I was going to make stir fry and my kids hate stir fry and second, my kids LOVE my friend’s cooking. Suddenly, I  feel frantic, I feel that I have to pay her in return.  I look through my cupboards to see if I have a nice box of cookies or candy I can offer her in thanks.  I find the Costco size licorice and I am relieved.  This will be my offering.

She arrives at my house with a beautiful Ziti casserole and puts it on my kitchen counter.  She remarks, “Wow, your kitchen is clean, really clean”.  I tell her it is clean because earlier that day I had blown a gasket and severely yelled at my daughter because she didn’t clean the kitchen “the right way”.  I had obviously had a stressful weekend and I  took it out on her.  On the way to the hospital to visit my husband, I told my daughter it was time to create a chore list with clear explanations of what I wanted done and other expectations.  That afternoon, I created a chore chart on the computer with a fair distribution of work to all my kids.  I printed it and put it on my counter.

I tell my friend that my kitchen is clean because I have my chore list completed and visible.  She tells me that she has procrastinated in doing the same thing.  Her father is coming to town to take care of her kids while she will be away with her husband for a trip and her dad insists she make a chart.  For reasons, only known to moms, she just couldn’t sit down and do it.  Grabbing her hand, I tell her to follow me upstairs to my computer and sit down.  Right there on the spot, I pull up the chore template on the computer and we create a chart for her three teenage boys.

Point of the story:

  1. You don’t need to give a gift to someone immediately after he/she gives a gift to you or does a Mitzvah, WHY?
  2. Because we each have unique skills and abilities to help those in need at the right time and the right place.
  3. Most important, keep your eyes, ears, and heart open to opportunities to do a mitzvah and the magic will happen.

Thanks Kim for sharing your insight! It’s a wonderful reminder.

Intention and Doing a Mitzvah

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I am not technically savvy. That said I have learned how to blog, Facebook and tweet and I enjoy doing all of it, but when it comes to real internet skills, I often struggle and kick and moan as learning new things seems to take much longer than it should!  I was so grateful last week when a friend and colleague who is a professional video producer and web designer offered me some of her valuable time to help me learn what I needed to make some videos to add to my website. What I realized is that when we aren’t skilled in something, having someone hold our hand and show us the ropes can make the task much less daunting.

I am thrilled to share a very short video from my Powell’s Book Launch in November. It was actually kind of fun to make and there will surely be more. Alas, with the right assistance even an old dog can learn new tricks. Enjoy.