#BEKIND21 A Trip to the Post Office - Kindness is Contagious

I had my pants and return label ready to go to the Post Office for two days. I took them to the car as being one step closer to actually getting them to the Post Office. After I dropped off my daughter for her acupuncture appointment this morning, Spirit nudged me to go to a Post Office that I usually don't go to but that was close to her acupuncturist.

"Stand back there and wait for me to call you," the Postal Service worker barked at the man in front of me. "And make sure you are standing apart behind the blue lines. That's what they are there for."

A man with a passport application angrily walked away from the window mumbling something about filing a lawsuit. 

While I wanted to leave and go to the Post Office I usually go to,  I felt the need to stay there.

"You wait there. She was ahead of you."

The gentleman in front of me said he was going to use the automatic machine but quickly returned saying it was out of order. I struck up a conversation with him about how COVID 2.0 seems to be leaving everyone feeling irritable. We chatted a bit about vaccines and masks before I shifted the conversation to gratitude. We smiled with our eyes and agreed that while things might seem worse, at some point the tide will turn and it will get better.

As he took his turn at the counter, a short in stature Asian woman came up right behind me in line with her mask beneath her nose. I warmly greeted her in response to her comment that there was not a long line today and asked her to please step behind the blue line for social distancing as the man behind the counter was enforcing the rules today.

"Oh yes yes," she said. "You are absolutely right."

She quickly adjusted her face mask.

The gentleman who had been in front of me turned as he went to leave wishing me a good day.

"Can I help you?" the Postal Service worker asked.

"Oh yes," I said. "I need a lot of help."

"Are you mailing these pants? This box is way too big."

"I'm sorry," I said. "That's why I didn't package it up. I have a prepaid label and a packing slip....You know I would like to just really thank you for your service. I know it's not easy working for the government under the best of circumstances. I worked at the VA for almost 20 years. I can only imagine the challenges you face every day during COVID."

"Thank you. Just for that I am going to get this all packaged up for you and not even charge you for the envelope."

"I'm so grateful to you for helping me."

"There's a lot to be grateful for right now...like this weather. I walk to work every day."

While he took care of everything for my package, we chatted for a few more minutes and said goodbye.

As I left, I whispered to my new friend in the line behind me, "Be sure to thank him."

I started walking down the ramp to exit the Post Office and out of the corner of my eye I saw her walk up to the window. She put her whole body and being into saying, "You extraordinary!" I heard him say "Thank you!" and I smiled knowing that the ripples from those Post Office encounters would create a wonderful vibration in my Town and beyond.

Dr. David R. Hamilton has done extensive research and writing on the benefits of kindness including how it is contagious. Here's the link to his blog, How Kindness is Contagious. It's as timely today as it was ten years ago when he wrote it. Last March, David wrote, in his blog, "The Most Contagious Thing is Kindness, "So while we increase our physical distance to help reduce the likelihood of contagion of coronavirus, let us increase the contagion of kindness instead."

 As evidenced by my recent trip to the Post Office, there is an urgent need to increase the contagion of kindness. There's still time to be part of Born This Way Foundation's #BEKIND21 campaign. It's a wonderful way to join a global community of like hearted people inviting us all to practice kindness to ourselves and each other.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

My books to uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon.

Visit my website to learn more about my journey of transformation in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.

Be sure to visit my News and Events tab on my website to hear interviews that will open your heart and mind to a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities.

On Being Kind

 

The Born This Way's Foundation #BEKIND21 campaign began on September 1st. I think of the campaign as a mirror reminding me to be aware of the choices I make in thoughts and behaviors as I go is about my day. I realize how easy it is to judge someone if I am not mindful of my thoughts and what is in my heart. These past few days have been a wonderful opportunity to put kindness and compassion front and center. I have the tab to the BEKIND21 campaign open on my computer and it's a nudge from the Universe to choose kindness and compassion for myself and others. On Wednesday we greeted parents and children on their way to school with warm smiles wishing them well on their first day of school. Yesterday I focused on gratitude.

While it's always possible to be kind, it's not always easy.

We've encountered some challenging situations in recent weeks. The encounters reached a head and tempers flared. I suggested to Tom that we take the 'high road' and apologize even though the other person demonstrated unkind and cruel behaviors.

With all that is happening in the world, this is Divine Timing for the #BEKIND21 campaign. David Hamilton, Ph.D.  my good friend and the "kindness czar" for Psychologies Magazine on Facebook shared this post about the #BEKIND21 campaign. Several years ago he came to New York to be a part of Born This Way Foundation's kindness campaign with Lady Gaga. David lives in Scotland. 

Today (1st September) marks the beginning of #bekind21

The aim is to do an act of kindness (or more) a day each day through until 21st September.

As I wrote in an earlier post, last year, there were over 100 million acts of kindness!! I think we can surpass 200 million this year. This is how we can make a difference in the world. Collectively. With our hearts.

It’s been my personal observation that kindness rescues us sometimes. There are times when it’s just what you need - either the thing itself or even just the knowing that someone cares in that moment.

And as the giver, I feel that kindness accesses that part deep within us that just knows that kindness, compassion, empathy, an act of love, is the right thing to do. I suppose, in these moments we rescue ourselves. We gain perspective on what really matters out of the multitude of competing interests that fill our minds each and every day.

I’ve joined the #bekind21 campaign this year. You can register here: https://bornthisway.foundation/bekind21/

There’s also a cool kindness calendar on the registration page that you can download to keep track of your kindnesses. I have mine on my wall.

Wherever you are, I wish you a great day. And remember to be kind. It’s almost always the right thing to do.

I've been working on this poem that I was able to finish after yesterday's afternoon meditation: 

Choose Kind

When heart is hurt it may be difficult to find
a path to healing to be gracious be kind
remember a bully has wounds that run deep
invisible to eye hidden secrets they keep.
A burden they carry defensive and cruel
retaliation revenge only serves anger to fuel
don’t turn a blind eye see beyond behavior so hurtful and cold
a daring perception be brave and be bold.
A gift of choosing love to thine own self be true
reconciliation remember they’re a person too
don’t let the wound fester let go let in light
your Spirit will thank you peace well within sight.
Underneath all the layers of bitterness bluster
beats a heart that’s Divine if only courage they could muster
with compassion forgiveness and choosing tender thoughts I’ll be free
kind-hearted and vulnerable I’ll let myself be.

When I was a guest on The Cardinal Cafe podcast, the hosts asked me how I was able to stay connected to my goodness and be kind and compassionate despite all the trauma I endured as a child after contracting paralytic polio. I shared with them how, after the diagnosis of Post-Polio Syndrome, I realized that I needed to transform and heal the anger and hurts through the power of forgiveness and seeing all that happened to me through the lens of gratitude. I embraced my experiences as gifts and once I opened my heart to love myself and forgive those who hurt me, I began to heal mind, body and soul.

I am excited to be inspired by the #BEKIND21 campaign and the messages that the Born This Way Foundation are sharing in daily emails. 

Let us all create a vibration of kindness and care during these next several weeks as part of the campaign and throughout all the days to come.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

My books to uplift and inspire you are available on Amazon.

Visit my website to learn more about my journey of transformation in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.

Be sure to visit my News and Events tab on my website to hear interviews that will open your heart and mind to a powerful message of healing, hope and possibilities.

Current Situation: Current of Love

 

It's time for me once again to only skim the headlines and resist the temptation to click on what's trending on Twitter which usually only takes me down the rabbit hole of news that breeds fear and discontent. I hide posts on Facebook that do not fuel a sense of joy and happiness. I actively seek out people and pages that I know have uplifting messages. I am spending more time reading and meditating and engaging in conversations with family and friends. I am taking more time for walks in addition to my three 5K's a week and allowing Spirit to flow through me to write. I am working on a very special audio book project for "Hope is a Garden: Poems and Essays From the 2020 Pandemic" (more on that in a later post). 

I ride the waves of fear and anxiety knowing sensations pass and focus on thoughts that can shift me into a state of love, hope, trust, faith and calm. I am mindful of what I am feeding my mind and observe how I respond to situations that are triggers from past trauma. I let healing tears flow when I need to release stress and practice gratitude connecting with Source.

Dr. David Hamilton has done extensive research about how kindness is an antidote to stress. Kindness triggers oxytocin, the "feel good hormone" which counters the production of cortisol, the fight/flight hormone. I've joined the #BEKIND2021 campaign from the Born This Way Foundation. From September 1st to September 21st, I'll be joining a global community practicing kindness, compassion and gratitude. We'll focus on kindness and compassion for ourselves and others. It's a wonderful way to transform feelings of fear and being separate to becoming aware of what binds us together as a global community. It's a deliberate way to keep thoughts and action in the forefront of our lives that help to counter the stress we are all experiencing at this time.

I'd been waking up at 6am -- well more accurately said, our beloved cat Jamie woke me up to be fed and I was having trouble getting back to sleep. Often times I would sleep through Jamie's head butting and she would move on to get Tom to feed her, but in recent weeks with the stressful events swirling around the globe, my vigilant self woke up. On some days, I'd let Tom sleep and feed Jamie enjoying the peace and quiet of the early morning hours.

The other morning, I could not settle down observing all the feelings going through me. I opened my heart to Divine Guidance and this poem flowed through me:

Current of Love

Weariness and wariness
hope and immunity waning
sputtering faith
current situation seems dim
transformed
when love lights the way!
Lens of love
prism of possibilities
despite what eye may see
sparks ignite
burn away doubt and despair
Source ever present
at the ready
tune out and tune in
electrify
illuminate
be light
beaming
becoming radiant.
Turn tide of swirling thoughts
what if
worries wash away
what if
happiness and peace prevail
keep the faith
spread the faith
floating on a current of Love conquering fear.

May we all connect and stay afloat on a current of love.

From my heart to yours
In health and wellness,
Mary

Visit my website to learn more about my journey of transformation in the wake of paralytic polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond.

Be sure to listen to my recent conversation with Liz Brunner, award winning journalist, now CEO of Brunner Communications on her podcast Live Your Best Life. I share how I live my best life despite the challenges that I faced at an early age.

For all of my recent appearances, be sure to visit my News and Events tab on my website.