Sangha of Auspicious Companions

Assuming Value Everywhere

Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won’t come in. — Alan Alda

~~~~ Tip of the Day: “I noticed that there was one kid who no one was really talking to. He had a serious kind of disability, and some of the kids were kinda scared to approach him. So I went up and introduced myself. And you know what? He taught me some amazing dance moves!” Sharing his presence was a wonderful thing to do, in and of itself, but my 14-yr-old cousin’s perspective was even more remarkable. We asked him, “What if he wasn’t able to teach you anything? Would you still have done it?” “Well, everyone is good at something. You just have to listen long enough.” A profound lesson coming from an early teen: Assume value everywhere. In orienting ourselves in this way, we take responsibility for tuning in to what others offer, and open ourselves to other perspectives. This thought-provoking piece, originally from Parabola Magazine, shares further. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169E802:C3009629A010612C3A39300C6B3DC187B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Broaden your own assumptions today: assume value somewhere you don’t generally look.

**Share A Reflection** http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169E803:C3009629A010612C3A39300C6B3DC187B4B847859706E37D&

Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Kindness Daily: Flowers and Wheel Chairs

kindness daily home smileCards smileGroups

Flowers and Wheel Chairs December 2, 2011 – Posted by rasy I am the Director of a little non profit Youth Centre and we do at least one act of kindness a month with the youth who attend. Just this month the youth handed out flowers to random community members. There was great energy among the kids that day, after we exchange stories on how we felt about the act of kindness we did. A 14 year old male stood up and said "Id like to say something." I was a bit surprised as he is a shy and quite boy but I said go ahead. "Today I gave a lady who was in a wheel chair a flower. She was putting her two kids in the back seat of her car. When I went up to her and said, hello, she was suprised when I handed her a flower. I quickly said Happy Valentines day and started to walk away. She then then said, wait young man, thank you very much for the flower, I really apperciate it. I nodded and was on my way. I am wondering how she gets her two kids ready, puts them in the car, and gets them to daycare all by herself. To me that is outstanding, and I am glad I picked her. I really hate when the youth centre makes us do acts of kindness, but now I really understand how important it is to be kind to one another." The next day the same youth came back to the Youth Centre. He said he seen the same lady he saw yesterday in her wheelchair and when putting her children in her car, her wheel got stuck in the snow. He said he grabbed her chair pulled her to the curb and said there you go. When the lady looked up at him she smiled, and said well thank you young man. He then said no problem! and walked away. He was glowing that day, and for the first time I could see he felt great about himself. I then heard him later on tell another youth what he did the last few days with the lady. The other youth responded with a smile. 🙂 Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories Costco Love, by earthling Miles of Smiles, by JZ No Choice But To Do Something, by Will Glennon Midnight roses, by Satya Spreading Smiles in Calcutta, by Pavi Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

Delivered by HelpOthers.org Click here to unsubscribe

Video of the Week: The Impact of a Caring Teacher

You’re receiving this newsletter because you are a KarmaTube subscriber. Having trouble reading this mail? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Video of the Week Dec 02, 2011 The Impact of a Caring Teacher Have you had a teacher who has profoundly affected your life? Based on a true story, this commercial, by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, beautifully depicts one such case: the story of Edwin and Mrs. Chong. Share: Related KarmaTube Videos Story of a Sign Boy With the Incredible Brain Learning to Fall They Call Me Birdman About KarmaTube: KarmaTube is a collection of inspiring videos accompanied by simple actions every viewer can take. We invite you to get involved. Other CharityFocus Projects: DailyGood // Conversations // iJourney // HelpOthers MovedByLove // CF Sites // Karma Kitchen // More Thank you for helping us spread the good. This newsletter now reaches 39,596 subscribers.

Inspiring a Life of Immersion

Each of us can work to change a small portion of events. And it’s in the total of all those acts that the history of this generation will be written. — Jacqueline Novogratz

~~~~ Good News of the Day: In this wide-ranging TED talk, Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, shares stories of people who have immersed themselves in a cause, a community, a passion for change. Stories that remind us that our human inheritance is the capacity to live lives infused with courage, sacrifice, humility, and hard work – and the tremendous impact it can bring to others. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169E525:C3009629A010612C17B89843680B993DB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Do you feel fully immersed in your life? Take 5 minutes to write down 5 things that help you find deep meaning. Incorporate one of those things into your life each day this week.

**Share A Reflection** http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169E526:C3009629A010612C17B89843680B993DB4B847859706E37D&

Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Honesty Paid Off For Dave

In the final analysis, there is no other solution to a man’s problems but the day’s honest work, the day’s honest decisions, the day’s generous utterance, and the day’s good deed. — Claire Booth Luce

~~~~ Good News of the Day: About a year ago, a homeless man in Arizona found a bag full of cash and made a fateful decision: he returned it. 49-year-old Dave Tally was in debt, unemployed, had lost his driver’s license for DUI violations, sleeping on a mat when he found $3,300 at a local light-rail station. When he returned it to its owner, a college kid, the gratitude and kindness of the kid touched him. “He hadn’t had that feeling in a while,” the reporter Dianna Nanez said. His story, though, ended up attracting donations that gave Dave some immediate support and it gave him a new leash on life. Now, he’s working in his dream job, managing a community garden, and building a program that allows other homeless to volunteer in the garden. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169E442:C3009629A010612CD6B8FC516BDDB0C5B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Next time you meet a homeless person, figure out a way to support him/her.

**Share A Reflection** http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169E443:C3009629A010612CD6B8FC516BDDB0C5B4B847859706E37D&