“I do not pretend to give such a deed; I only lend it to you. When you […] meet with another honest Man in similar Distress, you must pay me by lending this Sum to him; enjoining him to discharge the Debt by a like operation, when he shall be able, and shall meet with another opportunity. I hope it may thus go thro’ many hands, before it meets with a Knave that will stop its Progress. This is a trick of mine for doing a deal of good with a little money.”
Who said cultivating compassion could not do a great deal of good in the world? Who said you had to be super rich, or wicked smart, or live like a hermit to really benefit others? Is this a story you tell yourself sometimes? I catch myself thinking along these lines often (to be perfectly honest)…”If only I had stayed in the monastery!” (ha, ha!)
And here we are – where ever you are, with the golden opportunity at your doorstep this morning: to really be of service to others through the power of one, simple, random act of kindness. (Which inevitably leads to another, and another…) By the way, your practice of active compassion in the world not only brings joy and happiness to others, but it benefits YOU, too:
Today’s practice: do one, simple, random act of kindness. If the recipient asks what they can do for you in return…
Need some ideas to get you started? Check out “Pay It Forward Day” (which falls on April 28th this year) where they have a whole list of compassionate actions. There’s even a foundation dedicated to “Paying it Forward”, primarily through buying books for schoolchildren.
Sharing on social media? Add hashtags #payitforward #sharekindness #cultivatecompassion #theholistichomestead
Blessings, Arwen Pema
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