Do a Day of Compassion with me!

[Jesse]

On Friday September 6th I am participating in a 24 hour day of compassion exercise as part of my Social Psychology class. The assignment is to do acts of compassion during this 24 hours period and then write an essay about what we did, what the effects and amplifications were, etc.

Today, I challenge you to join me and do 24 hours as a consciously compassionate person on Sept. 6,...that is THIS Friday!

We are in a time in this world right now, where it would pay well to amplify compassion. I figure what better way to amplify this than by bringing it to my community. Oh, and you don't even have to write an essay, but you do get to experience the feel good out of it. :)

So, do what you have the heart, the means, and the time to do. It can be giving to your favorite charity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT-related_organizations), visiting someone who is in a nursing home and has no one to visit them, donate to Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/), read a book to someone who cannot read for themselves, volunteer at a shelter, go visit a sick child or sign up to be a big sister/big brother for children, donate clothes/household items, buy someone lunch or share some of your time over a cup of coffee...be creative and see what you come up with. :)
Post here share your intentions if you like, and tell us about your day and how it affected you, after the 24 hour period has expired. That's all there is to it. So are you game?

[sis]

I'm in! I teach Grade One in a school that has boarders. Right now, there is a lot of separation anxiety followed with a lot of tears. Each day I spend time comforting children. My plan is to join this group of children at lunch time in the cafeteria and spend time with them. The housekeeping staff here is overworked and underpaid - I plan to bring a special snack for them to enjoy; I also plan to talk to my students about how we can be helpers by cleaning up our messes! I'm sure I will think of other things to do between now and Friday! Thanks for sharing this concept!

Deb

[Jesse]

This sounds like a wonderful gift of compassion, Deb! By giving, you will also be teaching the gift, as I am sure you well know. :)

Thank you for joining me in this experience.

Jesse

P.S. I am still working on mine, but will post soon.

[Sweet Bliss]

A day of compassion ... I'm in.

Gives me time to decide what to do. Will include Reiki also. Thinking the staff at local hospital might be receptive. Will check back with you later.

Thank you Jesse.

[Katniss]

Ahhh Jesse, you had me at;


Oh, and you don't even have to write an essay. So are you game?

I'm in! However I am going to mull over a bit what I intend to do. I have a wee kernel of an idea and will post on Friday the result.


Thanks for starting this thread and hope it gains some momentum. One thing I have noticed about our community here is it already seems to be inhabited by a bunch of caring, involved and "change the world for the better" kind of folks!


Katniss~~I have always loved kindness as an act of subterfuge! :detective:

[Jesse]

Bliss and Katniss, thank you both for joining me. I look forward to hearing of your experiences. :)

[Jesse]

I have chosen several things to do for my day of conscious compassion. I haven't worked them all out just yet, but here are some of my ideas.

Make a Kiva (http://www.butchfemmeplanet.com/forum/www.kiva.org) donation.

Volunteer a couple of hours at the Co-op.

Spend some time with an elderly lady I know who has no family here, maybe bring her some lunch or dinner.

Random acts of kindness as the opportunity arises throughout the day.

And basically be consciously kind throughout the day.

I'm thinking I will do well to get this much done, as I have classes and a training event that day as well.

[Katniss]

Katniss~~I have always loved kindness as an act of subterfuge! :detective:

I'm quoting myself here not because of egoism (cough, cough) but because I think one or two folks might have misconstrued what I wrote. I was in no way implying that Jesse had any ulterior motives for starting this thread or that I thought roping more of us in was going to help elevate the grade in the Social Psych. class. What I meant by "subterfuge" was a distant memory of my religious up-bringing where "acts of kindness done in secret" trumped acts of kindness done out in the open where all could see and admire you. I think all acts of kindness and compassion are needed and valuable. I suppose I just get particularly jazzed about the random stealth ones done by strangers. :cheerleader:



Katniss~~

[agape]

On Friday September 6th I am participating in a 24 hour day of compassion exercise as part of my Social Psychology class. The assignment is to do acts of compassion during this 24 hours period and then write an essay about what we did, what the effects and amplifications were, etc.

Today, I challenge you to join me and do 24 hours as a consciously compassionate person on Sept. 6,...that is THIS Friday!

We are in a time in this world right now, where it would pay well to amplify compassion. I figure what better way to amplify this than by bringing it to my community. Oh, and you don't even have to write an essay, but you do get to experience the feel good out of it. :)

So, do what you have the heart, the means, and the time to do. It can be giving to your favorite charity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LGBT-related_organizations), visiting someone who is in a nursing home and has no one to visit them, donate to Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/), read a book to someone who cannot read for themselves, volunteer at a shelter, go visit a sick child or sign up to be a big sister/big brother for children, donate clothes/household items, buy someone lunch or share some of your time over a cup of coffee...be creative and see what you come up with. :)
Post here share your intentions if you like, and tell us about your day and how it affected you, after the 24 hour period has expired. That's all there is to it. So are you game?

Awesome! :-D

[sis]

My Friday has started. I woke up thinking about all the compassion that has been expressed to me over the past year and a half. This has been a time of immense sorrow, yet, a time of great personal growth. A time of feeling like my whole world was swallowed up by a huge hole, yet, each day I was gifted with joy. Joy came in the compassionate words - kind, encouraging, complimentary, guiding - shared with me from the hearts of other. I live in gratitude of this journey for my life has been blessed. Today, I hope to be a blessing in the lives of others.

I have already held a six year old and re-read "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn. She is now sitting at her desk stroking her face with the kiss I placed on the back of her hand.

It truly is the little things that can make a difference.

I live in gratitude that I was able to touch her heart.

Deb

[sis]

My day continued blessing me. The school I work for has really committed, hardworking, poorly paid housekeeping staff. We have two housekeepers in Grade One which is comprised of 275 children and at least 25 adults. The students are from wealthy homes and generally do not have to do any type of cleaning up or tidying.

I like a clean work space and appreciate all that the housekeeping staff does towards supporting my efforts at keeping the room clean. I believe, educate and promote the concept that the housekeeper is an important member of the team as she provides a physical environment conducive to learning.

Today, the housekeeper came in during class time to empty the trash cans. I immediately switched from the lesson to talk about the importance of keeping the room clean so we could support the important work done by our housekeepers. We talked about ways we could help out by picking up every little speck of paper, wiping down the tables, etc. The students also talked about how much they liked working in a clean space because then they can find all the things they need for projects, etc. I encouraged the children to share a compliment with the housekeeper. Several students expressed their thanks but one student in particular said that when something is messy he really had a difficult concentrating. He really likes coming into our classroom because everything was always where it belonged and he felt comfortable.

I had a small gift of tea, biscuits and a pashmina scarf for the housekeeper (my 'planned' gift of compassion) which I had a child give to the housekeeper. The children clapped, the housekeeper beamed, my teaching partner and myself grinned at each other over the teachable moment. The housekeeper said to my teaching partner later in the day that she didn't think she would be able to sleep tonight because she has never been recognized for the job she does. And, she had never thought about my concept of her being part of the team that is providing an environment conducive to learning. She said she felt proud that her work actually does make a difference in the environment of learning children.

Yup, my day continues to bless me.

Deb

[Jesse]

Deb,

What a wonderful thing you are doing by being so committed to both showing and teaching kindness. I am honored to have you join this adventure with me today, you are a blessing to others. Thank you so very much.

Jesse

[Jesse]

To begin my day of compassion I got started much earlier than normal and drove to Inverness, a town about 2 hours from mine. I wanted to surprise my friend, Nancy, who lives in a senior assisted living facility and has no family in the state. Nancy is 80 years of age and a joy to be around, and I try to help her out whenever possible. I make the drive there, and knock on her door at 10:30 am. The smile on her face was so big when she realized it was me and that I had brought Sadie, my service dog with me. Nancy knew, and loved my other service dog that passed away, but she had never met my Sadie girl. The two of them hit it off right away and Nancy was like a kid with a puppy. We visited for a while and got caught up on who has moved in, or out, and why, even though it has only been 3 days since we spoke on the phone. lol Then we had a peaceful lunch down by the lake on the facility property. It was a great way to start my day and I think Nancy will smile non-stop for a few days. :)

Once home and cooled off a bit, I brought a gift of candles to one of my neighbors and then sat on her shaded porch with her, while a wonderful overhead fan whirled above us. We had a nice visit for about an hour. I feel that we both benefited from this visit with each one learning more about the other and discovering things we share in common, like our love of growing plants and a shared fondness for one of the local parks.

That's my day so far. I chose to make both of these visits be gifts of time, sharing, and laughter because I feel it is an intimate gift and one that holds lasting value.

More to come later...

[gaea]

Our pay it forward day of compassion moment came as we left the grocers and walking down the street were two men and a dog, my sweetie pulled a twenty out and handed it to them, they will eat today, their dog will eat today...there was excitement in both of their eyes.

I love pay it forward moments in life.

Both NorCal and I are already compassionate people so this thread is very exciting...

I typically play a pay it forward game with my friends on Facebook it's all about the random acts of kindness in life.

thanks Jesse.

[Sweet Bliss]

I failed to meet my commitment.

[Lady Pamela]

Unfortunetly I did not find this thread untill today.
I am sure it will be ok to continue it as time goes on any said day..correct?
Unless it was a thread for just the 6th.
If so I would like to pick a day and truely to this adventure.

I am all about paying it forward.

Let me know please

[Electrocell]

Compassion is not just a one day thing and it definitely does not need to be done to impress society etc. Compassion should come from the heart without selfish reasons IMHO.

[Jesse]

Lady Pamela,

Thank you, for saying it for me. I was actually going to suggest continuing this thread, and I look forward to hearing about your day. :)

So here's the deal, for anyone who is interested in doing so, please post your experiences of compassion. Were you the giver or the recipient of this kindness? What was the experience like for you? Dish it! ;)

[Jesse]

Compassion is not just a one day thing and it definitely does not need to be done to impress society etc. Compassion should come from the heart without selfish reasons IMHO.

While this is true, there is also nothing wrong with being consciously compassionate, and setting a day aside to do so brings no harm.

[Jesse]

I failed to meet my commitment.

No harm done, Sweet Bliss. Every day is a new day with new opportunities of all sorts. :)

[gaea]

We like the idea of this being an ongoing thread and we are looking forward to reading as well as sharing experiences.

[Metro]

Agree with earlier posters that any type of volunteerism can be beneficial (and am also a devotee of the "stealth" style). Still, what also comes to mind is that such 'micro-volunteering' is not always what organizations need nor necessarily can even accommodate.

Example: Immediately prior to and on Thanksgiving Day the Chicago Food Depository is swamped with calls from would-be volunteers that just want to help on that particular day. In recent years, via news outlets, this organization has let it be known that the need for their services (addressing hunger via donations of food, working at soup kitchens, or monetary donations) is ongoing and daily throughout the year. Prior to the holiday the CFD has already organized and implemented services for Thanksgiving Day and ask these last-minute callers to consider an ongoing commitment (at whatever level) because that assists the organization in determining how far their resources will reach on an annual basis.

Personally I find ongoing charitable obligations most fulfilling (for any variety of reasons) yet also applaud those who carve out any amount of time from their own life to help someone in need (be it a stranger or family member).

[Katniss]

Sheesh! Took me forever to find this thread again!

So, back with my late-late-breaking report on last Friday. Firstly I wanted to mention that I agree acts of kindness and compassion should not be limited to one specific day. I didn't take that as the O.P.'s intent but rather a gentle nudge for some of us that may have gotten complacent/busy/etc. and had let that particular aspect of ourselves slide. I also agree with the post above that sustainable giving is the ideal as far as planning and continuity for an organization. I think this is why I took this challenge more as an opportunity to do a little random kindness and not a big time commitment. More an easing of the drudgery that can sometimes be life, not a "save the world" moment. I also had a good long look at what I currently do to "give back." Currently the kiddo and I volunteer at a no-kill shelter, during the summer a once a week shift at the local "meals on main street" to feed any in need, I am heavily involved in Girl Scouts and also the craft parent for her homeroom at school. These are all on-going commitments and don't count the hours logged in and checks sent to other groups in need of this or that. I'm not trying to toot my horn here, I am well aware many give back on levels that put mine to shame. I'm sharing this because I hope when I share the following it won't seem so self-indulgent.

Last Friday I called a local elder home and spoke to the manager. This particular home always seemed a bit dreary as I passed it. After a bit of discussion we agreed that when the time is right this fall (gotta' love the Southern heat) I would plant 400 tulip bulbs in the center's walking area for the residents to enjoy. I liked this because it also spoke of the "senseless acts of beauty......"

The "big" kindness for last Friday was this....I cut myself a break. So often I find I run and run and run and in the midst of juggling a full time career, single mom, and all the above plus general life maintenance tasks I can get overwhelmed and burned out. I took the day off work. I read a poetry book in peace and quiet, fiddled with art supplies, ate healthy and not junk and just.... gave.myself.a.break. I think having a kind and generous spirit needs to start with being kind and generous to oneself. Like begets like and if we can't be kind to ourselves and nurture ourselves then we don't have much hope of doing that for others without some burnout.


Pax,


Katniss~~

[Daktari]

I aim to live and be compassionate each day. The crux of the matter for me is humility and not feeling the need to tell anyone about such things.

[Katniss]

I aim to live and be compassionate each day. The crux of the matter for me is humility and not feeling the need to tell anyone about such things.


I think that is what as human beings we should all aspire too. The monks used to teach us (I attended instruction at a local religious monestary and was far from the *star* pupil...LoL!) that compassion should flow in and out with each breath. All that we do should flow from a spirit of gentleness and compassion for one another. I try, and often fail miserably, especially in Atlanta traffic....
But this actually hits on another worthwhile point, sometimes the kindest thing we can do is to *not* do something. Not spread gossip, not get angry when a driver cuts us off in traffic, or someone is hurtful or mean. Not roll our eyes at the person in front of us with waaay more than 10 items in a checkout lane of "10 or less." Maybe they are sad, distracted, what have you and for that day it is the best they can do. Maybe by being kind to them when they least deserve it (in our judgemental human eyes) will turn their day around. Then they in turn might pass that positive energy forward....the ripple effect. One thing I have learned is the only difference between the giver and the receiver is the turn of the wrist.

As to acts of kindness in secret, I posted a few threads up that those are my favorite kind and my most heartfelt acts I would never share, here or elsewhere. But I do like this thread, it sends out positive vibes and also gives me some ideas of other things I and my child can do. It also serves as a reminder that people out there I don't know, and have never met, are going about their busy, hectic lives and finding ways, big and small, to make a positive difference. Which in my book is indeed a cosmic hallelujah......


Katniss~~