Tag: personal growth

30 Days of Kindness

Last Sunday in church, the sermon was about kindness. Let me sum up the story for you in a few sentences. Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan (grandson of Saul)–a family that had long been at odds with King David. Jonathan and Saul both died in battle when Mephibosheth was a child…he had an accident and became paralyzed…he was considered a low-life and worthless because of his inability to carry on his “house” (the house of Saul). David extended kindness to Mephibosheth. Without question. Without conditions. Whew! That is a lot of detailed story condensed into an embarrassingly succinct few sentences! But now you have the very basic background story.

The story is especially important because of the extreme class differences in these two people. Mephibosheth was a “low life” and David, a king. For this man to be eating at the king’s table whenever he so pleased was a very unheard of thing. Yet that is exactly the offer that King David extended to Mephibosheth.

So…the sermon was about extending kindness to others. And the congregation was challenged…to 30 days of kindness. The specific challenge: Consciously extending kindness at least once a day to others for 30 consecutive days. Not necessarily others in a destitute state as Mephibosheth was (although that is part of it, but maybe not sustainable for a full 30 days…but maybe that is sustainable for 30 days?) but, as the pastor said, to anyone–as long as it’s a conscious effort at extending kindness. And as long as it’s for 30 consecutive days. That part is important.

This seems simple, right? But have you ever consciously done one kind thing a day, each and every day? Sure, we end up doing kind things randomly throughout our days, but consciously and with effort doing one kind thing a day? I thought this was going to be so super easy-peasy…I’m struggling, friends! This exercise has really opened my eyes to how fast we plow through our days, sometimes without looking up. It’s not that I’m being unkind or rude or anything like that. It’s just that I’m not EXTENDING kindness like I could (and should) be. Especially when I often times feel it in my heart but I don’t stop to extend that kind word or kind action.

I’m posting this to stay accountable. Here is my list so far:

Sure, some of these are small acts of kindness–and that’s ok. Others are a little larger. You don’t have to have certain resources to pull this off. Not many people can go out and buy a car for someone or pay someone else’s rent or solve deep-rooted issues in a loved ones life, etc, etc. Some people can’t even buy a cup of coffee for someone because they don’t have the extra 2 bucks. It’s ok. That’s not what this is about. There are lots of ways to show kindness. In fact, I’d love to hear your ideas in the comment section below! Maybe I will use one of your ideas! 🙂 And I’m going to check back in every so often until I’ve completed my 30 Days of Kindness. To stay accountable.

Now…you knew where this was going, right? I now challenge YOU to 30 Days of Kindness. You will take a closer look at your habits. You will have to think first and be intentional about your kindness. You will have days where you forget and then do something lame at the end of the night so you can get your act of kindness in. You will also have some really great moments and you’ll grow and open your heart just a little bit. Which is never a bad thing ❤ 🙂

 

 

Oola-la

I had a very Oola day today 🙂 And what exactly do I mean by that? Everything was just in harmony and it all felt good. Thanks to Doctor Dave and Doctor Troy, I’ve been bringing Oola into our household. We’re trying to find that sweet spot where life is just good. All the time. Sounds nice, right?

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Oola is “finding balance in an unbalanced world.” So there are 7 F’s of Oola: Family, Field, Finance, Fitness, Friends, Faith and Fun. The Oola guys, as Dave and Troy are lovingly known, are trying to “change the world with a word” (love their slogan!). They give you a game plan, complete with a goal map, so that you can step–or leap or sprint–toward your Oola life. This isn’t a new concept, obviously. But the way the Oola guys propose personal growth is easy to grasp, it’s fun, and most importantly, it’s coming from a place of love and humility. Which is perhaps why these two are able to spread Oola full time–people are just drawn to them and their stories. Their own personal battles and successes with Oola are what qualifies these two to be speaking about this concept.

Their awesome book (which is a totally quick and easy read–so pick it up even if you’re a non-reader!) talks about the Oola accelerators and the Oola blockers. Once you take a good hard look and can identify what’s blocking you from getting your Oola life, you can take the steps necessary to get those blockers out of your way. You may need to lose weight, you might want to become debt-free, you may need to work on your marriage, be a better parent, get the courage to start your business, stop sitting on the couch at night and get a social life, take a class…anything. Whatever your goals are for your life, you only get one chance. Dream big. And don’t let other people, things, or events take your dreams away from you.

When I was about 20 or so, I had an epiphany about other people and their effects on my life. It caused me to create this mantra for my life, which goes like this: “You can’t control what other people do or say. You can only control what you do and say.” That seems like a simple, obvious statement, right? But I can’t tell you how many times this mantra of mine has gotten me through some situations that were very difficult to process. And now that I’m “all grown up” with children, a home, and a complicated life to manage and care for (which involves all five little duckies 🙂 ), it’s amazing how much this mantra has really sunk in and is changing the way I’m able to care for myself and my children. And it’s totally Oola! If someone is just not in line with your Oola life, they’ve got to go. It can be tricky, for sure. But you have one life. And time is your hottest commodity. Once it’s spent, you cannot get it back. And you can’t create more of it. It’s a finite resource. So do you want to spend your precious moments on people, things, jobs, events, places, and actions that don’t contribute to your full potential? I sure don’t!

I HIGHLY recommend that you click here to check out the Oola mission, Dr. Troy’s and Dr. Dave’s stories, and their calendar of events. Dr. Dave and Dr. Troy travel around the country spreading Oola so maybe you’ll catch them when they stop near your home town. I am so, so very excited that I will have the chance to hear them speak and meet them next month when I’m in Utah for the Young Living convention.

To steal their sign off, “Be grateful, have faith, and go get your Oola life.”

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