Seven Days of Gratitude · Day 7: Kindness, Goodness & Service

A few weeks ago, I committed to writing a Blog series on GRATITUDE with the thought that a collective shift focused on what we DO have - our blessings, in light of any newfound challenges that have arisen, will help us navigate new realities and experience greater mental, emotional and physical health. I didn't publish my 7 Days of Gratitude in 7 consecutive days purposefully. True to my word, I've taken my own advice and slowed down my pace, taking time between work and seeing patients and writing a book, to savor moments, sit in stillness, and practice mindful meditation.  

It's said that necessity is the mother of all invention. Being thrust into new ways of living and being has brought extreme hardships, yet also creating opportunities for generosity, kindness and service. Today, I'm grateful for a renaissance of service to mankind and general goodwill and goodness I'm seeing in the world.  For some, volunteering, service and pro bono work has been an important part of their lives. For others, this pandemic has sparked an expansion of the heart, moving people into action and a new way of being with service and kindness at the forefront. We are seeing the other person is us. And this is inspiring! 

I'm grateful for social media accounts like @goodnews_movement, a must-follow feel-good Instagram account that quickly grew to 1.2 M followers, demonstrating humanity's voracious appetite for positivity, heroism and kind acts. I am grateful to all the kind heroes in service - all the essential workers in service to humanity, the parents working hard to be school teachers while they parent and work, the neighbors checking in on others, the people food shopping to keep our at-risk loved ones safe. I'm grateful to the people launching fundraisers and those donating food and money to help families and businesses and to the DIY-ers who are busy sewing and donating masks. I'm for all the people like David Carpenter in Indiana, one of countless I call, 'toilet paper angels,' who give away toilet paper to those of us who weren't as lucky to find it despite repeated trips to the store. David said that this should be a time of giving, not taking, with people looking out for each other. And I couldn't agree more.  I'm also grateful to all the brave people who do whatever it takes to get up in the morning and practice gratitude - as important for the collective as a large financial donation. These random acts of kindness and extra efforts to help lift a spirit, feed a family, keep those at risk safe, and serve our communities are helping others to stay positive, and shatter the myth that kindness is a weakness, when in fact, kindness is the ultimate strength.  It's helpful to remember that what we focus on, grows, and to be the change we wish to see in the world.  Think good thoughts, do good deeds, practice gratitude and see your world - our world - grow in kindness. 

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