Simple Acts of Kindness | LAYC46

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Hello everyone, and welcome back!

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Today, I have the pleasure of spending some time with you to talk

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more about the true meaning and the intent to behind Lift As You Climb.

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To set the stage, if you want to go back to the origins of this

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podcast in 2021 in episode 11...

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I told a story of how Lift As You Climb, came to be a mantra for me,

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a guiding principle in my life.

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And I won't go into all of those details now, but it's worth a

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listen because it sets the stage.

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It explains why this is so important to me in my life, and why I believe

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that it is so important for everyone to understand Lift As You Climb,

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and practice it as much as they can.

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This morning...

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The thoughts on my walk were about...

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What do people think of Lift As You Climb?

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And what does it mean for them?

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And I know that for some, they think of this as some philanthropic organization

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you could only really be a part of it, or make a significant impact if you're people

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like Bill and Melinda Gates, and you have a lot of money, and you have a foundation,

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and you have the resources behind you to really impact people's lives.

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And then, as it would happen, a situation that took place this

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morning on my walk about 6:30 really brought it home for me about...

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Lift As You Climb, and how it can be part of all of our lives.

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I was walking along, listening to a podcast, thinking about

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what I wanted to talk about next.

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And I was about to make a left hand turn onto a side street off of my main route.

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When, just before I stepped off of the sidewalk, a car coming towards me,

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made a very abrupt right hand turn onto that street at a fairly high speed...

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Came to a quick stop about a hundred feet in, and I saw the driver's door

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fling open, and I saw a head bob down...

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as I continued to walk, approaching the car...

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And I'll be honest...

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I was a little annoyed because I thought wow...

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That was very reckless driving and very rude.

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Almost cut me off as a pedestrian.

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I heard the very distinctive and disturbing sounds of someone being sick.

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Someone vomiting...

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Vomiting with great intention and discomfort.

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I was at first like, Awww...Eeewww and I continued to walk, I was

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gonna pass the vehicle, and then I thought, Mmm no, I I can't do that.

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What if there's something really wrong with this person?

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Shame on me for not showing some compassion.

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So I backtracked a few steps, and I came up alongside the car.

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I see that it's a young woman, probably in her twenties or thirties.

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Hanging out of the driver's seat, holding under the steering

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wheel, throwing her heart out...

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And her guts, onto the street.

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She was coughing and sputtering and it was obviously very, very distressing for her.

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And I was concerned because the first thing that actually came through my

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mind is that nausea/vomiting is one of the symptoms for female heart attack.

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And I thought...

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Oh my God, maybe this young, woman's having a heart attack.

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When she settled a bit, and could breathe, I asked her if she was alright.

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if she needed me to call 911, She took a breath, and straightened up, and said...

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No, It's okay.

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No, you don't have to call the ambulance.

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And I said, What's wrong?

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What can I do to help you?

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And she flushed face cheeks...

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Little embarrassed, looked at me and said, I'm a little bit pregnant.

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And I don't feel good.

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She went on to explain that she was suffering from a bout of morning

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sickness, and It was all she could do to pull her car over to the side

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of the road before she lost it.

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I stood there and chatted with her for a while.

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And of course, she was embarrassed and uncomfortable.

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But I assured her...

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I'd already had given birth to two babies myself...

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And in those pregnancies, there were lots of times that I did things that I thought

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were embarrassing, not for public display.

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And it was fine.

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I just wanted to stay with her until I was sure she was okay.

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I had some mints in my walking purse, and I offered those, and we

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chatted for a few minutes and she told me a little bit about herself.

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Then when I felt that she was settled and all right to move on...

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On her way...

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I bid her farewell and said...

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It's okay.

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I know that this is very unpleasant right now for you, but hang in there

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kid, because I promise you the prize, the end of this, will be worth it.

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She laughed, and I was so happy that I could restore a smile to her face

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and some hopefulness for this next few months journey through maternity.

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With that, she put her seatbelt back on and proceeded on her way,

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and I proceeded to finish my walk.

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But as I was walking, I was thinking about...

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Wow, I know that was the right thing to do.

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I know that I did the right thing as a human being and I lifted her spirits.

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And it cost me absolutely nothing, but a few moments of my time and

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to be present with her and let her know that she wasn't alone in this

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scary and embarrassing moment.

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That got me to thinking that Lift As You Climb...

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Being a philanthropist, doing something of impact, to lift others up, and

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make their life a little better.

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Isn't just about having money.

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Or giving somebody stuff, It's about caring, having compassion as a human

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being and stopping and recognizing the amazing, exponential power that

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we do have, the gifts that we have, that we carry around with ourselves...

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All the time.

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If we spread those out, if we spread that currency of compassion,

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and pay more attention to our fellow citizens on this planet...

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We do, as they say, lift all the boats.

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So I started to think about...

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So what are the other ways that if you don't feel like you want to, or it's

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not the only thing that you can do to make a donation or to volunteer or in

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an organization, whatever that may be.

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What are some other small gestures, simple acts of kindness that can impact someone

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else around you in your life experience.

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And certainly.

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The one that I think is the easiest for all of us is simply to notice

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other people and To smile at them, sincerely with your eyes.

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Even if you've got a mask on under the circumstances, you can smile

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with your eyes and make them know.

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I see you and you matter.

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Making eye contact is part of that really making eye contact with someone

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and recognizing them as a human being with feelings and needs and value.

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Saying good morning with enthusiasm.

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Now I'm a pretty outgoing person, and so it is my " raison d'etre", to make

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other people a little happier every day.

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So I do wave and I do smile.

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But for a while I did catch myself just saying...

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Morning...

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Until I realized...

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I could do better.

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I could say...

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Good morning.

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Great morning.

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Wonderful morning!

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Fabulous morning...

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Like I really meant it...

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With enthusiasm.

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I wave to the people on the other side of the street.

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Now, of course, and I'm walking in the same neighborhood, I'm starting to see

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the same people over and over again.

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I'm starting to recognize them and they're recognizing me.

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But I can assure you in the very beginning of those days, some of

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them looked at me rather suspiciously when I was waving and smiling and

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just acknowledging their presence.

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I think that, in person, there are certain ways as well.

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you've probably already done some of these, but it bears reminding.

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That there are so many opportunities to lift someone else's spirits

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by the actions that we take that cost us so little time and money.

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Sending a handwritten note to somebody.

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Recently I was invited to a neighbors, for a glass of wine on their balcony.

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I'm new in this building.

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And I don't know a lot of people here yet, coming out of COVID

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restrictions, we really all kept to ourselves, but it was such a

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lovely evening to be acknowledged...

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They lifted me, they lifted my spirits and made me feel warm and, welcomed.

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So I wrote to them a handwritten thank you note the next morning

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and slipped it under their door.

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Just to acknowledge how much it meant to me to have that personal connection.

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So I think if you can do that, if you have the opportunity...

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Why not?

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It doesn't have to be an expensive thing, it can just be a plain

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piece of paper, or it can be a dollar store card, a note card.

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Making the effort is a great value.

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Mail a card or a letter on non-recognized occasions.

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So yes, many of us will still send out birthday cards or at least hand deliver

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birthday cards or Christmas cards.

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But what about the impact and the surprise, the joy, that you can bring to

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somebody on a completely random date, or for a completely random reason...

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Where they go to their mailbox, and instead of finding junk mail or

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a bill, or a jury duty summons...

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They find a lovely, surprising card.

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Maybe it's something that's funny, or maybe it's something that's,

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inspirational, whatever it is...

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Do it.

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You can buy somebody a cup of coffee and deliver it to their

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office or their door or...

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as we hear from time to time these warm stories...

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Buy a cup of coffee or some fast food for the person in line

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behind you at the drive-through.

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All different ways to surprise, delight and lift the spirits of somebody else at

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the grocery store or any other facility where you're lining up, queuing up for

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your turn to check out at the register.

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Be aware of who's around you, and who may have just a few

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items, or even if they don't...

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If you don't have a deadline...

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Welcome them to go ahead of you, encourage them to feel special,

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and have them know that you're doing this for no other reward or

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acknowledgement, simply because you can.

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You could buy a movie ticket for the person in the line behind you at the movie

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theater if you're back out doing that.

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Things as simple as stopping at a lemonade stand when you see

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kids out doing that, cuz I think they're starting to do it now again.

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Or selling Girl Guide cookies...

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or whatever it is.

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Whether you want the cookies or the lemonade or not, make a donation.

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Show them that you appreciate their entrepreneurship and their ingenuity.

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Maybe they are fundraising, so that they can Lift As They Climb.

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Do a favor, surprise a neighbor.

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Bring in their trash cans, mow their lawn, shovel their walk, or driveway.

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Something that you can do not with commitment, but with giving sense.

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Bring some flowers to somebody who's shut in, perhaps not getting enough visitors.

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Or drop by a residence where the Seniors are not getting enough visitors,

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and just randomly bring a bouquet or potted plant, and leave it with a

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note for who ever needs this today.

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Compliments definitely are something that I think we all can practice

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at receiving gracefully, and giving more frequently and more generously.

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When you meet someone, look sincerely at them and compliment them on

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something that you do really like.

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Don't be fake...

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Don't say I love that dress...

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When it's something you think should be burnt.

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There's always something positive that you can say to lift someone else's spirit.

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Perhaps you tip a little extra at a restaurant or when you stop and

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buy a coffee or any other quick in and out facility where normally

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tips aren't included or considered.

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One of the things that makes me very happy every day is when I walk past

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this particular part of my route...

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Someone has painted uplifting messages on rocks.

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Hand painted bright orange, and they have inscripted a message on them.

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Even if it's a happy face...

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Paint some rocks, spread them around where people will

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be delighted to find them.

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Invariably the message on them just happens to be the perfect

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encouragement that they needed.

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I've also noticed a number of people who are very thoughtfully filling

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bowls of fresh water for dog walkers...

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with lovely encouraging signs that say...

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refresh your dog, the water is changed every day.

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For me it's a sense of camaraderie...

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community for everyone together to care.

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Maybe these people don't have a dog, maybe they do.

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But they're extending friendship to the people going by their home.

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I think that together, we could come up with hundreds and hundreds of small

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gestures, acts of kindness, that we could cycle through every day and create a wave

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of greater joy and happiness together.

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I invite you to think about that.

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Think about the surprises that you have received, that made you feel better, that

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lifted you up, and thereby, feeling elevated, you've gone about your day,

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doing things for other people too.

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Share in the comments your ideas, so we can all spread this around the world

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together and lift as we climb together.

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Be the one who makes a positive difference in someone else's day.

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Every day that you can...