I was talking to astounding server-of-life Julie Daley this morning about a fall event we are dreaming up with sizzle muse extraordinaire Dyana Valentine, mega-soul mogul Danielle LaPorte, make-your-own-luck maven Susan Hyatt (get her new book, it is great!), the healer-of-healers Diane Chung and shaman speaker teacher Gail Larsen, when Julie said,
We tend to think of serving of an individual thing, and as doing something big. We look to the past and see people have done big things from a position of power and we think that’s the only way. It’s not about each of us doing something on our own nor about having to do something big – that is crazy making.
What if we each acted from love, if we prayed and asked, “What is the small thing I can do in this moment?”
What small thing can you do in this moment? Every revolution started with one step. The key is to keep stepping.
What seemed to really inspire people about the 19 Random Acts of Kindness in Jonathan’s memory is dedicating the merits. Dedicate your acts to someone or something other than yourself and see how it feels.
Right after Julie said this, a comment arrived from Sandy on my last post,
If you’re reading this “late,” as I am, and still want to do something but you are not out and about, a quiet random act of kindness would be to phone or e-mail individuals and organizations who struggle for the causes we care about, to thank them for representing us in the struggle. These are such discouraging times for people on the front lines. In Florida, our governor just cut our already abysmal services to people with severe disabilities. Over a few days, I’m going to dedicate 19 messages to the memory of Beth’s son — some will be messages of support to social workers and aides who are already overworked and underpaid, and some will be messages of political action.
Then right after that (not kidding),
I got this lovely email from Char, one of our brilliant Savor & Serve Cafe members detailing how I’ve been serving lately. I felt so seen – and that someone was doing for me what Sandy was suggesting we do for our “front liners.”
Here is what I am experiencing so clearly, so vibrantly right now: we are rising up.
We are rising up to serve. And we are being supported.
Let’s not get in our way with complicated ideas of how serving must look.
Yes, the need is great and being in action is what counts.
Here are some ways to feed your action today:
Read the comments on the first post for energy and ideas – the very kind Alex Blackwell offered a great link with lots of kindness ideas here.
Join us at the Cafe this month – we’re going to dig deeper into the questions “What is Savoring?” and “What is Serving?” I’ve invited UN Peacekeeper and activist Marianne Elliott and meditation teacher Sally Kempton to help us deepen our understanding – juicy!
Download the first class of Teach Now for freeeee – it goes away April 5th and I really really really want you to have it, whether you think of yourself as a teacher or not. It’s all about being in the gap between where we are now and how we are serving now, and how we want to serve. It’s at the bottom of the page. Scroll on down and get it. It’s a class, not a sales call.
Create a video about your random acts of kindness for The Kindness Movie – you can win $1000 but more importantly, you will be in action. Make a video with your best friend, partner, kids, neighbors – why do this alone! Kindness spreads!
Invite someone who is sunk in resignation and fear to go see the movie I Am with you. You probably know a lot of what’s in the movie and it’s certainly flawed and it opens up a great deal of fertile conversation. What a great way to spread hope and inspire action if you shared it with a certain someone who has given up or thinks change is impossible?
most of all
Take action out of wholeness. What breeds inaction and unkindness is thinking we are seperate from that which we are serving.
Pshaw!
More random acts everybody? Do share what you do because it not only inspires everybody else but it makes you realize all that you have done. And feel free to take your actions in whatever way works for you – listen to your own wisdom, but of course.
