We have all heard stories of the great saints – people like Mother Teresa, and Tenzin Gyatso the 14th Dalai Lama – who faced extraordinary adversity and responded with other-worldly compassion and kindness. But that level of kindness is not limited to idealized stories of greatness, it is accessible to all of us in every moment of every day. 

Enjoy these inspiring stories of every-day heroes, and send in a story of your own! Is there a saint in your midst? Do you know someone whose kindness and generosity are unrecognized? Please share your stories in the comments below!

“The Man Who Took his Mugger to Dinner” from The Daily Good: I first heard this story on NPR, as a part of their series from Story Core highlighting extraordinary stories of ordinary people. Julio Diaz, a social worker from the Bronx, was on his way home from work one night when he was mugged by a teenager at knife-point. Julio gave the teenager his wallet, and then offered his coat. “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a couple of dollars, you must really need it.” He ended up taking the teenager to dinner, and during the course of their meal, he shared a priceless lesson: “If you treat people right, you’re going to get treated right. It’s a simple as it gets in this complicated world.” (Listen to Julio Diaz tell the full story here.)

“The Angel of Queens” from KarmaTube: Jorge Munoz is a bus driver by day, and angel by night. Five years ago, he noticed food being thrown out from a factory, and asked if he could take that food and give it to the hungry. He took the food home, prepared a hot meal, and brought the food to a street corner where he offered it for free. “It started with just 8 guys, within a week there were 24, and it kept growing from there.” To date, Jorge has served over 70,000 meals for free, picking up the donated food from local churches and businesses, preparing the meals in his sister’s kitchen, and serving up to 150 people every night – on his own time, with his own dime. Why? “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

How will you commit to compassionate action today? Follow this link and join thousands of others who have made a pledge to “Be the Change”.