Lydia Johnson Consulting

Week 16- Look around. See the Kindness?

What you look for multiplies…ever notice that once you focus on something different, all of a sudden, you can see it everywhere?

I remember first feeling it years ago when I bought a new car. My new convertible felt like it was made just for me….even the colour I ordered was a new shade of blue. The car dealer even told me, you will be the only one with this car….feeling rather special, off I drove behind the wheel. I think it was about 2 or maybe 3 weeks later I saw another of the same convertibles…then another and another. Could they all have followed my lead and bought them right after me?? Not likely.  I guess I just never noticed them before. Within a few more weeks, it almost felt like every other car was my new Solora. and then it happened…..my very special blue colour, reserved just for me at the car factory….was shared and there they were….not only my car, but my same colour! How dare those owners buy my exact car!

What’s my point? Well of course here were other cars just like mine…many others. I just never noticed them before because I wasn’t “in tune” with looking for them.

I share this example, and there are others that I am sure you could relate to, because this week, my classmates in the MKMMA are looking for and sharing examples of KINDNESS acts. There are good people doing good things everywhere but until you actually focus on the act of looking for them, they don’t always seem as plentiful and all around us. Well, what has been fascinating is the incredibly high number if incidences wherever I went these last days! Little things…like someone opening a door for someone, and sometimes for me…or seeing a car driver letting someone else into traffic head of them…or helping someone with carrying something to ease their load. Wow! Wherever I seemed to go, KINDNESS was there. Did it follow me? No. It was there all along and I had the pleasure of enjoying being an observer of KINDNESS.

practice kindnessIn fact, I am a pretty thoughtful person and like to think I do things that are also kind. I didn’t need this week’s lesson to prompt that action. However, by observing and recognizing KINDNESS in a more focused and acknowledged way, I automatically started doing more acts of KINDNESS myself!

Now here is an even bigger and more enriching part of our class assignment this week….we are to be doing two RAKs each day…..a RAK is a Random Act of Kindness and the best part is trying not to get caught! It has been so fun trying to be a clever RAKer! My classmates have posted great ideas, some of which I borrowed and tried as well. My favourite was scraping the frosted windshields from 2 cars this morning so as to help neighbours get to their days a little easier, faster and warmer…super fun!

Try it on for a day or two, or more! If you want to feel great, giggle inside with gratitude, do a RAK!! Go for it…better than chocolate and most everything else!

17 thoughts on “Week 16- Look around. See the Kindness?”

  1. Nicole W says:

    Lydia, Thanks for your wonderful post on kindness. It has inspired me to pay even closer attention to the abundance of kindness all around us. And keep the RAKs going!

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Thanks Nicole. It’s wonderful to know we can all make a difference, just one act at a time.

  2. Dear Lydia
    I loved your post on Kindness. You are such a warn and joyful spirit and I can just imagine you out there in the snow scrapping windshield clean. It makes me smile!!
    With Gratitude
    Cheryl

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Cheryl, thanks so much for your kind words….you make me smile too :)

  3. Louise says:

    I love how you express your joy and excitement performing RAKs.

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Thanks Louise. It is a really great feeling, for sure.

  4. I believe I’m a kind person like you Lydia and will continue to focus on this virtue because whether I do something myself, or see someone else acting kind, it brings a smile to my face.

  5. Beth Kennedy says:

    So true, Lydia. It’s so amazing that the action of giving a RAK seems to bring the same joyful rush, as being the recipient of one. What a great week it was!

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Thanks for the comment Beth…what a different world we would have if everyone did a few RAKs, even just annually!

  6. Mark Holland says:

    Hey My Friend, your bouncy and authentically exuberant spirit and great writing skills had me smiling and relating…I can see you scraping those windows with a smile and a sense of wonder (wondering how BIG there smile would be when they discovered the magic of disappearing frost!!) Rock on!

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Hey thanks Mark…I like your word magic, cause it does have a magical feeling sometimes. I am sure you are enjoying it as well.

  7. Scaping icy/snow car windows – great idea (thankfully none of that has been here for over a week now) I love how we are all “getting it”, don’t you? It gives more meaning to the phrase “Great Minds Think Alike”, hmm I’ll have to find out who said that. Thanks Girl!

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Michelle, you are so right about us all getting it! fun to do so with others!! Great minds think alike….probably a smart woman! :)

  8. Andrew says:

    What a good post! I can definitely relate to being able to NOTICE more, of that which I focus on… Totally agree, kindness is all around us.

  9. Lydia, Hope all is well, was just looking for week 17 Blog, I always enjoy your blog posts.

    1. lydjohnson says:

      Multiple balls in the air the last few days so getting to it later today for sure! Thanks for asking!!

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