My son Peter and I were talking this past summer about One Million Acts Of Kindness and the good I was hoping that would come from it. We talked about how I was going to try to convince people to achieve a personal goal of one million acts of kindness in their lives. A goal, which I believe, can have powerful positive changes. At the end of our conversation, Peter challenged me with the question, “I get it dad, but what’s the ultimate goal”? I replied, “Each individual performing one million acts of kindness”. He said “Yeah, but what’s the ultimate goal”? I was somewhat perplexed but told him I would have to get back to him with an answer. What could possibly be more of an ultimate goal, than a person performing one million acts of kindness in one’s life, I asked myself. Over the course of the next few days it came to me, I called to tell him of my answer. I told him “With an individual embracing such a prodigious goal, my wish was that one person would choose to dedicate their life to a charity of humanitarian aid like Mother Teresa”. As I spoke those words, the thought came to me that that was not a big enough goal. I continued on, “No, I hope that one-thousand Mother Teresas are created”. 

**The Kindness Bus Tour resumes its daily journey and blog on January 6^th 2010

A friend of mine has a sticker on her car that tells one to “Visualize Whirled Peas”. At first glance, it seems like just a fun play on words, but given more thought, it has a much more profound meaning. It usually takes an event for an individual to say, I want to try to help this troubled world. I want to be an example to the world by finally doing something about it, by doing for others while being a positive influence in the world. Getting others involved in your passion is a great way to spread your personal kindness. This is how we as individuals can work for world peace, starting with our own lives first and spreading our message to others. Spread your message across this awesome nation of ours. Live your life like the entire world is watching, because they are. Is there ever going to be a point in your life where there will ever be a lasting world peace, or will you do nothing about it and just visualize whirled peas?

As we near the beginning of another year, the time of year for resolutions and goals of self-improvement, one of the greatest goals each one of us can embrace, is setting a goal of becoming a “Kindness Millionaire” in our lifetime. With all of the “I Can Make You a Millionaire” infomercial DVDs and books, which seem to end up just collecting dust on a shelf, “You Can Make You a Kindness Millionaire” is a goal which will be more rewarding than most any other goal you set for yourself. Change yourself from within. Feel great about who you are by doing for others. Create a new lifestyle by transforming yourself into a person who sets a priority of creating happiness and security for others. Show the world just how good of a person you really are.

This is the resolution you need to keep.

“One person can make a difference”, is an oft used phrase to call attention to helping a person become inspired in getting involved in a much needed way. It is a phrase, which we all know but to which we need to pay more attention. As many of us live our lives, we become caught up in just living our lives. We become too busy to notice that much of our life has passed by without doing more than just living our lives. All of us need to do much more to help others. It is probably the most important thing we do. Call attention to this present moment becoming a new starting line in your life, where you realize just how important you really are. You are the only one who can make the difference in your life and the positive change you wish to make in this troubled world.

  “One person can make a difference, You are it”.

Holding onto long-held negative beliefs can destroy from within. Whether because of stubbornness or perhaps one’s pride being injured. Early on in my travels, I met a man who had carried in his heart for thirty years, that he had given up on being kind to others. I do not like to talk in a negative light about others, but he was by far the crabbiest person I have met in a very long time, perhaps ever. He told me of how dumb of an idea it was for me to try to spread kindness to others, that it was just a waste of my time. I thought at the time that he was just testing my mettle, but he had convinced himself long ago that carrying this with him, somehow justified in his mind that he was getting even. When he explained the reason for his actions, it seemed so trivial to me, but yet of monumental importance to him. This long-held judgment of another has been a thirty-year sentence for him. I wished him the best and told him that talking to a professional could possibly help. It is so important to forgive.

Arriving back home to be with family and friends is what is on the minds of most people this time of year. So much energy is put into such a short amount of time, just for the purpose of being with our loved ones. I can think of nothing more important than the celebration of family and getting together to do just that. While on the road for these four months, which seemed to fly by, one of my favorite conversations was when I would talk with parents who were with their children. I was able to get a first hand glimpse into what a special blessing the family unit is, while parents interacted with their children by spending time with them and being ever-present role models  for their children to witness. A passing down of the most important core values from parent to child. This is how children learn these most important values. This is parenting, plain and simple. Simply taking responsibility for the children, we bring into this world. Giving them the best possible chance of becoming caring citizens of this world. With children growing up much too fast in this world today, the role of being a parent to your children has never been more important.

I am blessed to have family and friends who embody the preceding values. I am surrounded by children and young adults who are products of the loving nurturing, which their parents showed them. Being a role model to your children is forever. This is their motto. This should be the motto of every parent. The picture above is of one such person.

**The Kindness Bus Tour resumes its daily journey and blog on January 6^th 2010

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!!!

                          Snowstorm or no snowstorm, Santa Bob and Bogart, aka Dasher, have a stop to make before riding the wave of snow north to Cleveland. We decided to get an earlier visit to the Carilion Hospital than we had originally planned. An early morning phone call from the hospital confirmed this would be the best plan.

We arrived at the hospital and did a quick transformation in the bus, which rivaled any change Superman ever did in a phone booth. The children were in the play area waiting for Santa and Dasher to arrive as The Kindness Sleigh arrived with a clatter. The children ran to the fence to see what was the matter. There in the parking lot was a jolly old soul with a cutest looking dog reindeer in tow.

The twenty or so preschool age children who came to meet us were spellbound at the sight of Santa Bob and Dasher, exiting The Kindness Sleigh. I have to admit, playing Santa is as rewarding as it gets. The commentary from children of this age is priceless. One child says, “Santa”…”Santa” … (tug on sleeve) “Santa does your bus fly”?  Still another says, “Where are your reindeer Santa”?  This is pure magic. We visited for fifteen minutes or so and then posed for some photos and the children sent us off by singing a great Christmas song.

A knock on the window from the adults inside made it clear that Santa could not possibly leave without visiting all of the hospital staff. Two of Santa’s helpers, Marcia and Abby, were dispatched to escort Santa Bob and Dasher inside. We visited all of the hospital staff and not a single person subscribed to being naughty over nice. Santa was pleased to hear this. We made one last visit to Chaplain, Jonathan Webster before leaving and Santa’s helpers packed a goody bag of cookies for the long ride north. May the entire Carilion community have a joyous Christmas.