In a world full of terror, destruction, fear and alienation, it's sometimes hard to see that there are many people out there who are determined to keep on watering their own little patch of land, not for the applause nor the acclaim, but just because they believe in the saying that no act of kindness, great or small, is ever wasted.
The Iraqi student walked up to me and told me he'd arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he'd gone to the trouble of setting it up, I went to the interview but straight away told my interviewer that I didn't have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time. In typical New York fashion a city where anything feels possible she said: We can make that happen. When can you start?
I have completely lost it. Bruised, battered, beat, and busted down, I've created such a fortress around me that I don't even let kindness in, that is if I even see it at all. But when I do see it, you can be sure it feels odd, and I even shut myself off to it because I'm so numb to giving or receiving kindness.
But as I was crossing the chaotically busy main intersection into the market, the trolley got stuck on the traffic island in the middle of the road, and the box of melons fell to the ground. They went flying, spectacularly tumbling out towards pedestrians and waiting cars. As the little walking man changed from green to red, I was stunned, mouth agape, trying to process how I was going to collect the melons shooting in six different directions.
Usually, among the honks and waves of support, we receive a few thumbs-down and even fingers-up. But on Wednesday, our critics were mad. I was puzzled at first when a scowling young man pulled over to the curb and pointed to the words "Due Process" on my sign, sneering, "Due process with a gun, you mean." The next man to vent clarified, shouting across traffic at a red light, "You're destroying the country! A good man died today because of you and your violence!"
During back-to-school month, take time to strengthen these eight wisdom life skills that are never taught in school. These essential traits are based on my wisdom study and Common Wisdom book findings, and they can help you increase your joy, happiness, and success. While education is important and necessary, having intelligence is not the same as having wisdom. Think about the people you know who are highly intelligent and well accomplished: Do they all make good decisions, and do they live meaningful lives?
Join Me chronicles the journey of starting a positivity cult through simple acts of kindness initiated by Danny Wallace, which became a sense of community for many.
When I was on a crowded train, my two-year-old son started losing it, but I kept him entertained with noises and games, though it annoyed some passengers.
Excited children cheered as hundreds of boxes of breakfast cereals lined up like dominoes toppled over one by one. The domino challenge at Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School was a creative idea to support families in need.