We spend much of the week trying to keep our heads above water….there is always something that demands our full attention immediately, so we in turn focus on those things because we feel it is vital to who we are and how others perceive us. Yes, some jobs are important but how much of the mundane do we allow to rise to levels of vast importance? At the end of each day you start to ask yourself “Who’s running the show?” The power we have over our lives and what we feel we need to accomplish is blurred.

In a lot of cases much of what ends up happening originates from us….either what we fail to do or what we choose to accept to do. Since that is often the case then we do often have a say in the outcome and the direction we take in life. It is very easy for us to fall into the trap of thinking that we must think of what is best for “me”…when in reality what is good for “me” can also be good for someone else…. both purposes can co-exist together. I think most of us in our hearts want to be good…but because of the past or certain experiences we’ve been subjected to in life we tend to get sidetracked and forget in some ways how to be good or look upon goodness as some form of weakness. For me, with the problems that I face I find that each week I have to keep re-learning certain good habits and disregarding the bad ones. I guess life really is one big classroom!

What scares me is how easy it is to forget to be kind. With all we deal with we get so caught up in our own lives that we start to forget the things that matter to us the most. I have started each Monday to try to think of something that I can do to touch someone in a positive light. It could be a smile, or a thoughtful comment, but at the end of the day it does give you a good feeling inside. Yes some people won’t appreciate it….but most will. Sometimes it amazes people that you honestly stopped to think about them.

I believe human beings start out as wonderful, kind, loving people….and then they run head first into something called “life”. Life can change everything…but the core of what we are still exists…it’s just that some have to dig a little deeper than others…and it’s okay to offer a little help with that digging. One way to help each other is through these so-called little random acts of kindness. It is a pebble in a pond. If bad things that happened to you have tremendous ramifications then why shouldn’t good things have the same effect? I believe these acts of kindness can raise the spirits of not only the person who is receiving them, but also the originator of those acts. We’re all connected, in one way or another, on this planet.

Take the time to love,

Jennifer Avalon
© 1998 Jennifer Avalon