Kindness Daily: A Pay It Forward Revolution at School
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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
A Tokyo Teacher’s Lessons in Empathy
Empathy is the greatest thing. There’s an expression I love: ‘Let people live in your heart.’ — Toshiro Kanamori, 4th grade teacher
~~~~ Good News of the Day: “What’s the most important thing this year?” asks Toshiro Kanamori to his students? “To be happy!” comes the joyous response. The class goal truly is to understand how to be happy and care for other people. It sounds like the sort of class a stressed or overworked adult would find, long after they graduated school. Instead, it is a different teaching approach taken by a grammar teacher in Tokyo, Toshiro Kanamori. One tradition in his class is that every day, three students read out “notebook letters,” authentic journal entries that express happiness, irritation, gratitude — or, as 10-year-old Ren expressed — sadness over his grandmother’s death. Watch Kanamori in action in this video, as he uses Ren’s letter to teach his students how to understand their inner thoughts, and deeply empathize with each other in the process. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169A243:C3009629A010612C64960FFD48DEF22EB4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Share an authentic “notebook letter” with a child in your life, and invite her/him to do the same.
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Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications
Dalai Lama Quote of the Week The Need for Reasoning A plant does not inherently exist because of being a dependent-arising. You begin by reflecting on the fact that a plant is a dependent-arising because its production depends on certain causes and conditions (such as a seed, soil, sunlight, and water), but eventually the reasoning process must be supported by direct perception, or it cannot stand. We can see with our eyes that plants change; they grow; mature, and finally dry up. In this sense, inference is blind, since it must eventually rely on direct perception. Inference depends on reasoning, which in turn rests on basic, shared, indisputable experience through direct perception. (p.153) –from How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins How to Practice • Now at 2O% off |
Video of the Week: I will be a hummingbird
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Secrets of the 100-yr-old Marathoner
The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress-free. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from people who are negative, stay smiling and keep running. — Fauja Singh, 100-yr-old Marathoner
~~~~ Good News of the Day: Most people hang up their boots as they get older, but Fauja Singh only began running in his eighties. At the age of 94, he ran a full marathon in less than 5 hours, but on 16 Oct 2011, at the age of 100, he still has it in him. Singh did what no other person has done: he became the oldest person and the first centenarian to finish a marathon. Along the way, he’s received sponsorship deals, but he donates it all. “I’m not really interested in all the rupees, I give it to charity,” he says of his sponsorship deal. “Money can be saved and spent and lost and made. At my age it’s nice just to do this. […] Look how blessed I am. What’s not to be happy about?” http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699F86:C3009629A010612CB0AFC77C2523E16BB4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Do something that gives you meaning and joy, regardless of whether you think you’re too old or too young.
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Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications
Dharma Quote of the WeekFocusing the mind on the object of meditation is like planting a seed for the arisal of the realization…. Even in the beginning stages one might become impatient, thinking, “I really want to get this done quickly.” One might think that by exerting more effort, by adding more and more stuff, by changing things this way or that way the process can be made to go faster. The good gardener knows that too much water or fertilizer is harmful, not helpful. The mature meditator must understand this as well. The Kadampa masters of old gave this counsel: First, pay great heed to getting the proper causes and conditions together. Next, engage in the practice without agitation and without anxiety. Then, with the mind at ease, carry on to the end.(p.20) –from How to Practice Shamatha Meditation: The Cultivation of Meditative Quiescence by Gen Lamrimpa, translated by B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications How to Practice Shamatha Meditation • New at 3O% off! |
Kindness Daily: Remembering an Anonymous Friend, 15 Years Later
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7 Ways Sharing Can Make You Happy
The miracle is this: the more we share the more we have. — Leonard Nemoy
~~~~ Tip of the Day: One silver lining in dark economic times is that as people learn to make do with less, they are discovering the many benefits of sharing. New psychological research suggests that sharing fosters trust and cooperation in the community and contributes to personal well-being. Researchers are finding that sharing impacts people in the very specific ways that are closely linked to increased happiness. These include effects such as improved physical health, increased levels of trust, causes for gratitude, opportunities for cooperation, and more. Here are 7 ways sharing can make you happy. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699E08:C3009629A010612C3335CCBE19E51EAEB4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Reflect on a recent time someone shared something with you. Let them know about the impact of their generosity.
**Share A Reflection** http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699E09:C3009629A010612C3335CCBE19E51EAEB4B847859706E37D&
Why Do Some People Learn Faster
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. — Samuel Beckett
~~~~ Tip of the Day: Why are some people so much more effective at learning from their mistakes? A new study by Jason Moser at Michigan State University is premised on the fact that there are two distinct reactions to mistakes, both of which can be reliably detected using EEG. The first reaction is called error-related negativity (ERN). It appears about 50 milliseconds after a screw-up and is mostly involuntary. The second signal, which is known as error positivity (Pe), arrives anywhere between 100-500 milliseconds after the mistake and is associated with awareness. The latest research suggests that we learn more effectively when we have 1) a larger ERN signal, suggesting a bigger initial response to the mistake and 2) a more consistent Pe signal, which means that we are probably paying attention to the error, and thus trying to learn from it. This Wired Magazine article delves further into the neuroscience of learning from mistakes.
http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699CF0:C3009629A010612C5E8A21A698A40B9FB4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Recognize and embrace your next mistake. Then learn from it.
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Becoming a Presence Activist
The dream was always running ahead of one. To catch up, to live for a moment in unison with it, that was a miracle. — Anais Nin
~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: “A friend of mine is visiting from out of town and staying in East Oakland, in an area that’s infamous for its gang violence and unrest. This friend happens to be a monk. He shaves his head and dresses in the traditional brown robes of his monastic order — not the kind of person who blends easily into the background. Having spent many years making compassion a conscious practice, his response to situations is to try to do his bit to spread goodness. So he went out for a walk, just to engage with the community. As he was walking up 35th Avenue, a couple of tough-looking street youth yelled out to him: ‘Hey man!’ He turned around, looked at them and said, ‘Yes?’ ‘Are you a Buddhist monk?’ ‘Yes, I am.’ ‘You look hella peaceful, man!'” A poignant reflection on what it means to become a ‘presence activist.’ http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=1699BDB:C3009629A010612C7F57536DF18E7A80B4B847859706E37D&
~~~~ Be The Change: Give the gift of presence: shine extra care and attention onto all your interactions today.
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