not possible to solve singlehandedly the organization's problems; there are just too many of them!  One leader who led a high risk chemical plant spent three years creating a highly motivated, self-organizing workforce.  He described it this way: "Instead of just me worrying about the plant, I now have nine hundred people worrying.  And coming up with solutions I never could have imagined." Sometimes leaders fail to involve staff out of some warped notion of kindness.  They don't include people, they don't share their worries, because they don't want to add to their stress.  But such well-meaning leaders only create more problems.&nb... posted on Oct 3 2013 (27,422 reads)

He thanked me for caring enough to wake him and promised not to sit on the ledge of the stoop like that again. And thankfully he didn’t.   In the months that followed I started to realize there was a certain flow I was taking part of. As my happiness began to increase, so did the happiness of those around me, or perhaps it was just my perception, but I doubt it. There were many ways in which I found myself making other people’s days brighter by small random acts of kindness and vice versa. I got to know the people in my town, the lady at the post office, the gentleman at the hardware store, the kids at the coffee shop, who by the way would refuse to let me pay f... posted on Oct 4 2013 (30,592 reads)

of your mind. And the key here is to understand that we can select, on purpose, one of our basic motivational systems—for caring—and we can cultivate it, help it grow and mature, through practice. We also need to understand exactly why it’s useful to do this: because it changes our brain and will give us much more control over our thoughts and our lives. So in therapy that tries to develop compassion, we train people to remember, remember, remember, notice, notice, notice kindness—and then to build upon those remembrances. Buddhist monk and author Matthieu Ricard says our minds are like gardens and they will grow naturally. But if uncultivated, they are influence... posted on Jan 26 2014 (25,170 reads)

– Forget everything you have been taught, because Matthieu Ricard is here to teach you a new way of interpreting the human being. A French Buddhist monk and a disciple of Dalai Lama, Matthieu Ricard is the author of Plaidoyer pour l’altruisme (Advocacy For Altruism), in bookstores since September 19. It is a non-religious book similar to an encyclopedia, and its content is very relevant for these times of economic crisis. There is evidence that we aren’t selfish human beings driven only by our own interests. Moreover, today’s society is not more violent than it was in the past. Yes, we can change the way we are and, therefore, cooperate more, not only ... posted on Jan 27 2014 (7,838 reads)

of your mind. And the key here is to understand that we can select, on purpose, one of our basic motivational systems—for caring—and we can cultivate it, help it grow and mature, through practice. We also need to understand exactly why it’s useful to do this: because it changes our brain and will give us much more control over our thoughts and our lives. So in therapy that tries to develop compassion, we train people to remember, remember, remember, notice, notice, notice kindness—and then to build upon those remembrances. Buddhist monk and author Matthieu Ricard says our minds are like gardens and they will grow naturally. But if uncultivated, they are influence... posted on Jan 8 2014 (33,409 reads)

more importance, recognition and dignity to the field of domestic work through improved wages and conditions represents a major shift. Calling for - and creating - relationships that are more just and loving is an even bigger change, but one that they believe is both necessary and achievable. How does transformative organizing operate in practice? Flores’ response at the ALMAS press conference provides the essential clue. Her smile and laughter filled the room with kindness, but the words she spoke gave voice to a deeply painful reality that must be confronted: American society continues to treat immigrant domestic workers so poorly because many of them are brow... posted on Jan 9 2014 (15,188 reads)

He’s so quick-witted, he just looked at me and said ‘Oh yes Jane, have you ever known anyone homeless that long with such a great sense of humor?’ The truth is they’re naughty schoolboys together.” For Feldman, a highlight of the conference was when a teenager asked Tutu how his friendship with the Dalai Lama works despite the differences in their religions. Tutu replied: “Yes, our religions are different, but our faith is the same. We believe in kindness. And besides, we just wear different costumes.” Tutu at the Global Healing Conference in Bali, 2004. “I can hear him laugh in the shot with the fan,” says Feldman... posted on Feb 3 2014 (18,503 reads)

money to give him. And on the third day, something incredible happens when Hussein is able to secure a storefront in a dilapidated building adjacent to his shop. No electricity, no running water, but there is potential in this spot. Manuela and veterinarian Dr. Osman come by to help with the painting and clearing of rubbish while electricians and plumbers make all the necessary connections. In less than two weeks, the barber is back in business again, his whole world restored through the kindness of strangers. And as for the cats, Manuela reports that the barber shop’s smallest customers are doing just fine. They are among the hundreds here in Avsallar who receive daily meals th... posted on Dec 17 2013 (186,469 reads)

people yet not feel overwhelmed when we encounter their negative emotions. Get out of your own head: Research shows we can increase our own level of empathy by actively imagining what someone else might be experiencing. Don’t jump to conclusions about others: We feel less empathy when we assume that people suffering are somehow getting what they deserve. Meditate: Neuroscience research by Richard Davidson and his colleagues suggests that meditation—specifically loving-kindness meditation, which focuses attention on concern for others—might increase the capacity for empathy among short-term and long-term meditators alike (though especially among long-time medi... posted on Feb 5 2014 (58,417 reads)

and what you feel, you'd better be careful about it because it will come back to you and haunt you three times over.      And I feel that, on the positive side, that's also true. So therefore I believe in the power of prayer, totally. I'm in a prayer group right now with some older women and we gossip mercilessly. We also pray, we really pray, for people. We've got this list of people. We ask if they want our prayers, and we do it with intention and with kindness. And also we have a great time before we get down to praying. So I totally believe in the invisible realm.   Dr. Richard Lueker:  You know the concept of the wounded healer—... posted on Dec 31 2013 (26,687 reads)

have a lot of social support, some people have little social support, some people are extroverted, some people are introverted—you have to take into account the happiness seeker before you give them advice about what should make them happy. And then there are factors relevant to the activity that you do. How is it that you’re trying to become happier? How is it that you’re trying to stave off adaptation? Are you trying to appreciate more? Are you trying to do more acts of kindness? Are you trying to savor the moment? The kind of person you are, the different kinds of activities, and how often you do them, and where you do them—these are all going to matter. Th... posted on Jan 23 2014 (128,091 reads)

didn't need a contract, and we didn't discuss the risk. He trusts me implicitly, and I think he knows that I'll do the right thing. We have a old-school gentlemen's agreement: a firm handshake and a promise. It's the time-honored way of making a contract. And it felt great. With tears in my eyes, I pulled away from this wonderful man's house. I'll never forget the way I felt -- thankful for the goodness of people, the kindness of strangers, the amazing story I'll recount for years. I'm now sitting 80 miles north of where we broke down. A few minutes ago, George and I exchanged text messages and he simply... posted on Feb 12 2014 (33,070 reads)

Sukham's warmth and openheartedness invites us all to find the artist within and to experience life and all it’s infinite possibilities on a path for beauty and truth. In this Awakin call conversation, hosted by Bela, Pamela shares her journey from one captivating story to the next, beginning with a life changing realization that she needed to leave a stable career to trust an inspiration… to paint. It was a joy to moderate this call, being introduced to Pamela through the kindness of Pavi a year earlier. The two artists share the same title for their work, Infinite Vision! Pamela trusts her heart, from moment to moment, inspiration to inspiration, connection to conn... posted on Apr 9 2014 (26,031 reads)

from the West Indies, he was just a shy kid in school trying to find his way until one day he was introduced to the violin. Everything changed after that. As our guest on Saturday’s Awakin Call, David shared how his journey in life has blossomed in between the soulful notes of classical music. He was named after his great-great grandfather, who had been born in France and through a series of unexpected events, ended up alone as a young boy in the West Indies. If not for the kindness of a man that took him in, the life of David’s great-great-grandfather might have turned out quite differently. Two generations later, David’s own parents were inspired by the Ame... posted on Jul 11 2014 (20,968 reads)

mood increases—and a sad mood reduces—the tendency to believe that what is familiar is actually true. Sad moods reduce other common judgmental biases, such as “the fundamental attribution error,” in which people attribute intentionality to others’ behavior while ignoring situational factors, and the “halo effect,” where judges tend to assume a person having some positive feature—such as a handsome face—is likely to have others, such as kindness or intelligence. Negative moods can also reduce another judgmental bias, primacy effects—when people place too much emphasis on early information and ignore later details. So negativ... posted on Aug 29 2014 (28,791 reads)

But that can't be right. It's not like we're trying to choose between two things that can't be compared. We're weighing the merits of two jobs, after all, not the merits of the number nine and a plate of fried eggs. A comparison of the overall merits of two jobs is something we can make, and one we often do make. 7:28    I think the puzzle arises because of an unreflective assumption we make about value. We unwittingly assume that values like justice, beauty, kindness, are akin to scientific quantities, like length, mass and weight. Take any comparative question not involving value, such as which of two suitcases is heavier. There are only three possibilit... posted on Sep 6 2014 (31,362 reads)

step: With your older and more mature perspective, look back on the day(s) that formed the belief you want to change. Notice what other stories could be told to explain the situation. Frame four other possible and positive beliefs that are equally represented in the experience. 5. Suspend judgment. Every time you criticize yourself for that old belief you make it stronger, because you weaken your connection to one of your greatest assets: self-compassion. Instead, access kindness, humanity, and mindfulness to create an internal support system built on acceptance, appreciation, and optimism. Forgiveness, too, can be a key element in this step. I’ve had to focus o... posted on Sep 26 2014 (110,803 reads)

she had to overcome. Reflecting on her youth, she channels an experience all too familiar to those who enter life from a foundation the opposite of privilege: It’s very hard to be young and curious and almost egomaniacally concerned with one’s intelligence and to have no education at all and no direction and no doors to be open… To go figuratively to a door and find there’s no doorknob. And yet Angelou acknowledges with great gratitude the kindness of those who opened doors for her in her spiritual and creative journey. Remembering the Jewish rabbi who offered her guidance in faith and philosophy and who showed up at her hospital bedsid... posted on Jul 22 2014 (26,875 reads)

I asked. She shook her head no. Later when I left, I hugged and kissed my grandmother good-bye and wished her sweet dreams. And, then took the hand of the woman and wished her sweet dreams as well. She looked at me with such sweetness, with gratitude. The next day, we had a repeat of the day before but when I left this time I took both of her hands and held them as I said sweet dreams. She looked at me deeply, her face smiling. Slowly, without words, we were building a relationship based on kindness. Yesterday, I said my usual hellos but this time as I was sitting with my grandmother I included Andrea in the conversation a bit more. I started to use her name this day. She began to try to... posted on Sep 1 2019 (49,750 reads)

Human Life Is Worth The Same’ Mark Bustos is a hair stylist at an upscale salon in New York City, but not all of his clientele have to be wealthy to get a quality trim. Sometimes, they don’t need a penny. Bustos spends every Sunday — his only day off from work — venturing through the city in search of anyone in need who’d appreciate a haircut. Approaching each person with the same, simple phrase — “I want to do something nice for you today” — Bustos provides cuts to up to six people every Sunday, capturing many stylings on his Instagram account. Bustos has been cutting hair for the less fortunate since May 20... posted on Oct 21 2014 (32,164 reads)