Today I was the lucky recipient of a Random Act of Kindness, and it absolutely made my day!

My friend, colleague and brilliant Natural Fertility Specialist, Trudy, surprised me today with a gift for absolutely no reason at all, except to make me feel good.

It was a huge mug (for herbal tea of course!) and on the outside it says “You are the reason the Sun came up today” - The Universe.  And inside the mug it says “You are adored”  Isn’t that just fantastic - I love it!

Never underestimate the impact that Random Acts of Kindness can have on those you love and even on strangers whom you do something kind for.  To know that someone has thought of you and wanted to do something special, is an amazing feeling and I am SO grateful for having friends and family around me that don’t hesitate to express these simple but incredibly generous gifts of spirit.

A funny coincidence was that I opened my e-mail box when I got home today, and through came Dr. Mercola’s newsletter and one of the topics was Random Acts of Kindness!   I have reprinted it here below:

You cannot just rely on others to make the world a better place — everyone has to help. Or, like Gandhi once said:

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Kindness is actually contagious, and you might want to consider carrying out random acts of kindness on a daily basis.

You could:
Send someone a hand written note of thanks.
Make a card at home and send it to a friend for no reason.
Buy a lottery ticket for a stranger.
Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.
Cut your neighbor’s hedge.
Walk your friend’s dog.
Give a compliment about your waiter/waitress to his/her manager.
Send someone a small gift anonymously.
Stop and help someone replace their flat tire.
Let someone jump the line at the bank.
Pay for the drinks on the next table at a café.
Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.
Hold the train door open for someone rushing to get in.
Give up your seat for someone, not just an elderly person.
Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.
Talk to a homeless person and have a “normal” conversation.
Pick up some rubbish in the road which would otherwise be lying around.
Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.
Recommend a competitor to a potential client.
Give another driver your parking spot.
Give a piece of fruit to a delivery person.
Help an elderly neighbor carry the rubbish out.
Tell all your family members how much you appreciate them.
Leave a copy of an interesting book on a train/bus.
Buy an inspirational book for a friend.
Send a thank you note to a person who has helped you in the past.
Smile a lot.
Once you get started, you may find it a habit hard to break! 

For even more inspiration, and support from other people who are passionate about passing on kindness to others, check out The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation at www.ActsOfKindness.org
 

A couple of small incidents happened over the last couple of days which have left me pondering over the meaning of the word commitment.

The dictionary says that commitment is “the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose”.

I get the feeling though, that a lot of people see the word commitment in a negative light, as if when you make a commitment to something, then there is no way of getting out of it; or that commitment means that you are forced to do something that you really don’t want to do.

I don’t see it that way.

I see commitment as being a way of prioritising what is important and following through.  I see it as a way of no longer being able to hide behind an excuse.  And this is something so many people do; which is a shame because I think that commitment is one of the essential components in living a great life.

This came to light yesterday morning when I was at the gym.  Those of you who know me, know that keeping fit and exercising are an important part of my life and it helps me to feel great and bounce with energy.  Yesterday a lady came to the gym who I hadn’t seen there for many weeks.  She came in full of apologies to the instructor, “I’m so sorry I haven’t been for so long, you see it has been raining every morning.”

Yep, on the Gold Coast it has been one incredibly wet summer – but does that really mean that everything gets put on hold until the rain stops?  We’d never get anything done!  For me, I just put on a jacket and carry an umbrella as I walk to the gym.  No big deal, I’m still there every morning at 6.00am.

In the next breath the same lady looked in the mirror and started complaining about her fat belly, and then she looked at a couple of us there on the treadmills and commented about how “lucky” we were to have such “naturally” slim figures!

I can assure you, “luck” has nothing to do with it!!

I think we can all make excuses when we haven’t really made a commitment to something, whether it be to eat more healthfully, exercise, stop smoking or to our relationships - which brings me to the other story.

I have the most wonderful friend, who is always there with a cuppa and a hug if I’m having a challenge.  We are always there to support each other and it is a gift to have someone like her in my life.  She was discussing how difficult she was finding it to organise some friends to have a breakfast on the beach get together.  Every week there was some excuse, or they didn’t call back, or it was all too hard, and in the end she gave up.

I’ve been in the same position myself – there are only so many times that you can invite a friend to socialise or spend time with you and get knocked back, before you realise that there may be very little commitment to the relationship on their side.  Developing friendships, like developing a fit healthy body, (or anything else worth having), requires commitment.

The rewards that you receive from making the choice to focus on what is important, are enormous.  From my commitment to exercise, my body is fit and toned; from my commitment to my friendship, I have someone who I can share myself with and always be supported.  These simple gifts are the absolute joy of life, the beauty.

We should never underestimate the power that commitment can have, to cause a profound and positive change in our lives.