Kindness Starts With One®

I used to think that kindness was a word that wasn’t relevant in today’s adult world.  It had been very important in elementary school and, as I got older, it seemed too simplistic.  The adult world can’t be bothered with such childish concepts, I thought.  As I grew into my 30’s, the complexities of the world and the struggle...

When I was 12 years old, I already knew that my teen years were going to be the worst years of my life. I was right; I was a total outsider, bullied at school and neglected at home. I felt completely alone and isolated in my small town.

Turning my desperation for help into a passion for helping...

Hello, my name is Travis, and I am selfish! Yup, as the youngest of four growing up, I was spoiled rotten. If some was good, than more was better. A good friend of mine told me that I suffer from “Not Enoughness!” It’s true!

As an adult I have been better, but I still feel that urge inside...

Hello everyone! My name is Tyson Reed, and I am the Communications Director at Imagine This! Marketing Group (ITMG). Growing up in the Midwest has certainly shown me many forms of kindness and has shaped who I am today. Immediately after graduating college from Eastern Illinois University in 2009, I started an internship at MGM Studios in Los Angeles. Once...

My name is Brandy Robertson and I am the Executive Director of The Women's Resource Centre in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Conscious kindness has been a part of my life for about the last five years, but when I really think about it I’ve been passionate about volunteering for more than two decades. At the age of ten, I started...

The first time my daughter looked out the window to see a grizzled man leaning on a crutch, with dirty clothes and disheveled hair, she asked, “What does that man’s sign say?” Though generally quick with an answer, I struggled to explain why people simply drive by and ignore a person in need. Think about it; that’s a tough...

My name is Carrie and to me, kindness is a CHOSEN lifestyle. In my classroom, I tell my students that every day they are offered a plate – a choice. They can’t choose what HAPPENS to them, but they can choose how they RESPOND to it. Kindness is a CHOICE and it is a LIFESTYLE. It isn’t something we...

Mark Twain said, “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” To me, kindness is important because when I am kind, I feel good and my life has meaning.

Kindness is the ability to enrich the lives of others. It can be expressed though a smile, a kind word, or a helping hand. Sometimes,...

When I was younge,r I thought that kindness was an individualistic thing. I figured that I could just give what I thought others wanted and I would be handed a one-way ticket to Happyville. This thought process was drastically altered when I was diagnosed with clinical depression. It became obvious that what I needed, as everyone does, was the...

Realizing that we're two self-centered millennials, often focused on what’s ahead instead of what’s around us, we created a series of 12 steps as a way to become kinder, more empathetic people. Based on 12-step programs designed to change behaviors, we took a vow to complete this 12-month resolution last January, one step per month. We’ve also designed the...

Kindness is a practice.

About 6 years ago, I was on a plane next to a woman who was relentlessly energetic and fidgety. I was tired and wanted to take a nap. But before I could go into “ignore mode,” she tapped me on the shoulder to introduce herself.

“Hi, my name is Helga!”

We got...

I care about helping people in need. One simple way I think someone can add kindness to the world is by giving to the homeless or needy. When you do something like thi,s you get a tingly feeling. That's what I call “the kindness feeling”. The kindness feeling is my favorite feeling ever. I believe the world needs more kindness...

“Mrs. Willis, this is Mr. West from the school.  Do you have a minute to talk?”  Silence.

“Yes,” she finally replied quietly.

“I just called to tell you that Natasha had a great day at school today.”  More silence.

“Really?” she questioned.

So I went on.  “I can tell that Natasha is really proud of...

My name is John M. Sweeney. I’m the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of a worldwide social movement called Suspended Coffees. I’m a misfit, a Kindness Coach, I’m a storyteller and I’m a teacher of kindness. For me, kindness has not only changed my life, it's also saved it. Three years ago I was depressed, alone, thinking...

Mother Nature gives us a lot. Here are 4 fun ways to show appreciation for all she provides.

My daughter, Kathrine, lives in Hillsboro, Oregon. Her neighbor recently had a baby. Kathrine took Izzy (Isabella) into her home for a few days when the new mother and baby came home from the hospital. Kathrine and I also went shopping and bought some much needed items for the new baby: diapers, blankets, a towel and wash cloth set, and a...

When I was little, I lived with my mom and dad until the age of three. My parents' relationship dissolved, which left my sister and I living with my dad on the streets until I was 5 years old. At that time, my dad couldn't take care of us anymore and dropped off my sister and I at my Aunt...

Over the weekend I got my license so my friend Jennie and I got our nails done and went out to dinner. SHe paid for my nails so I offered to drive her 45 minutes away to her grandparents house.

Over the course of my spring break I went to visit some colleges. I stayed in the town of Gettysburg for two days at a bed and breakfast. When eating breakfast there I met a Vietnam veteran and talked with him about how poorly veterans are treated after returning home from war, especially the Vietnam generation. After having this talk,...

My name is Yaneth. My mom was a single mom to six kids. My sister and I were both born in Mexico and were brought to the United States without proper documentation. We have since become legal residents, but growing up we had a lot of challenges because we didn't have proper documentation. We couldn't get Medicaid because that was...