Katika miaka michache iliyopita, nimekuwa mtetezi mkuu wa Smile Cards . Nguzo nyuma ya kadi hizi ndogo ni rahisi: fanya tendo la fadhili bila jina na uache kadi nyuma, umwalike mpokeaji kulipa-mbele. Ikiwa atafanya hivyo, mnyororo unaendelea, na kusababisha "mawimbi" ya fadhili kumeta nje.

Kadi za Tabasamu ni nzuri kwa njia ambazo siwezi kuhesabu. Ndogo, rahisi, mnyenyekevu -- lakini yenye nguvu, kwa sababu tendo moja la fadhili linaweza kuwa mwanzo wa mlolongo mrefu . Lakini kwa sababu hizi zote, sababu kuu inayonifanya nizitumie ni mabadiliko ya hila ambayo yameanza kutokea katika jinsi ninavyofikiri .
Hivi majuzi, nilikuwa kwenye ndege nikisoma kitabu chenye kuvutia cha fedha ambacho rafiki yangu alinipa. Ndege yetu ilipotua nilihisi bomba kwenye bega langu. Alikuwa muungwana mzee akiuliza maoni yangu juu ya kitabu hicho. Ilibadilika kuwa alikuwa amesikia juu yake na alikuwa na hamu ya kuisoma. Nilimpa maoni yangu juu ya usomaji wa kupendeza, lakini basi wazo lilipita akilini mwangu: kwa nini usimpe tu? Wakati huo kitabu kilikuwa hakipatikani hata Marekani Kwa hiyo nilikabidhi. Bila shaka, mwanzoni alikataa, lakini nilifanya uamuzi wangu bora zaidi, na baada ya kurudi na kurudi, mwanamume huyo alikubali kitabu hicho huku akitokwa na machozi. Aliniambia alikuwa na wakati mgumu kuelewa kwa nini nifanye jambo kama hilo, lakini kwamba angelipa kwa njia fulani.
Sasa, katika mpango mkuu wa mambo, hadithi hii haimaanishi chochote. Namaanisha, ni kumpa mtu kitabu tu. Mtu yeyote anaweza kuifanya. Lakini ... wazo hilo, "kwa nini usimpe tu kitabu?" mawazo, ilikuwa mpya sana kwangu. Kwa miezi michache iliyopita, nilikuwa nikitembea na Kadi za Tabasamu kwenye pochi yangu. Kile ambacho mwanzoni kilianza kama mazungumzo mazuri kwenye karamu kiligeuka kuwa rundo la vitendo vya fadhili ambavyo ilibidi nipakue.

Polepole, mtazamo wangu ulianza kubadilika. Badala ya kuangalia jinsi ningeweza kuendesha hali kwa faida yangu, akili yangu ilikuwa na shughuli nyingi kujaribu kufikiria njia ambazo ningeweza kufanya siku ya mtu kuwa bora zaidi. Kadi hizo zilikuwa saizi ya mfukoni ili kuwa mtu bora! Nilianza kutambua kwamba nilichokuwa nimebeba si kadi nzuri tu -- nilikuwa nikibeba uwezo wa ukarimu katika kila mwingiliano. Haya yote yananirudisha nyuma hadi siku ile nilipomkabidhi yule mgeni kitabu. Ilikuwa ya kushangaza haswa kwa sababu ilikuwa ya kawaida. Nilikuwa na uzoefu wa wakati ambapo nilitaka kutoa nje ya mazoea; kana kwamba hiyo ndiyo njia pekee niliyojua jinsi ya kukabiliana na hali hiyo. Kwa wakati huo, hapakuwa na tofauti kati ya mgeni na rafiki anayeaminika. Na sehemu nzuri zaidi? Baada ya kumpa kitabu, mtu aliyeruka huku na huko na kutabasamu kwa siku nzima alikuwa -- mimi .

Ninatambua sasa kwamba nimekuwa nikiweka upya ubongo wangu kihalisi, kwamba jitihada thabiti za kufanya mambo madogo kwa ajili ya wengine ndiyo hupelekea kufanya vitendo vikubwa vya kutoa 'wasio na akili.' Zaidi ya hayo, hii imesababisha mabadiliko ya mtazamo kutoka kwa kuzingatia matokeo hadi kuzingatia mchakato. Usitarajie ulimwengu kubadilika, toa tu sasa hivi bila masharti yoyote, na uamini kwamba nguvu ya kitendo itaendeleza mchakato wa kuweka upya nyaya kwa kila mtu anayehusika.
Nimeona maishani mwangu jinsi athari ya ripple inasababisha mabadiliko ya nje na ya ndani. Ingawa sihitaji Kadi za Tabasamu ili kuendelea na njia, hakika ni kisingizio kizuri :)
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
SHARE YOUR REFLECTION
7 PAST RESPONSES
You had me at Kindness, Birju :). I can see the ripples in the once still pond and they are beautiful <3
Really appreciate the wonderful comments here! Thank you for walking the path of service!
This is amazing. The simple concept of smile cards is awesome and I'd never heard about them, yet they have been out since 2003. How cool. I'm in. My mind already started spinning about what I could do for somebody today.
The feeling of being kind and making someone's day is priceless. I always keep in mind how I would feel or how I would want to be treated. Kindness warms hearts...and think of all the great things that can happen when a heart is warmed! Ripple Effect!
These days Smile cards are always in my pockets, in my bag, leaving home without them is like going out without shoes :-) and the Universe always finds the most amazing ways for me to make use of them, either with a generous tip to the waiter, or the singer on the street, left inside a book at the library, maybe one day someone will write one of those books "1001 ideas" to use a smile card. Of course the smile card is just a good excuse to spread some kindness in the world. I have seen people's life change over night with the power of kindness, instead of concentrating in what's bothering them, they decided to look around and find out where to help, once they shift their attention to the needs of others amazing things happen. The biggest lesson I have learned in my kindness journey is that the time to be kind is NOW.
I agree Tabbi, my husband has been posing this question for the past few months: How is it that we teach our children to share, to work out differences, that caring for others, being honest, and being kind are the most important qualities to aspire to.....what changes when we become adults? What happens? What in our adult culture turns?
It is strange that in today's times small acts of kindness have become difficult to understand.
I'm a muslim and it is part of our religion and our way of life, so its nothing new to me. I have grown up with acts of kindness all around, being given and being taken.
I know its a part of christianity too. Some of the kindest people I have come across have been christians.
So...then what has happened? The capitalist way of thinking has spread over the world. like a disease