Kindness

After reading The Happiness Project I guess I have devoted my summer to finding peace and happiness. I picked up a book at a discount store with quotes and short stories about kindness, generosity, simple pleasures, attitude, marriage, and parenting.  It is called Highlighted in Yellow: A short course in living wisely and choosing well and is written by H. Jackson Brown Jr. The quotes I read were uplifting and stories were amazing.  I plan on using some of the quotes that I find as writing prompts for reflection during writing and sharing some stories during morning meeting.

..okay now I'm sad.  The book had a story about a connection between Fleming (discovered pennicillin) and Winston Churchill.  It was a story about kindness being paid back.  But after trying to find a link to the story online to share with you, I found out that it isn't true.  Tear :(  I guess that's why it was one of the few stories not cited in the Acknowledgements section :-/ 

I will speak ill of no man, and speak all the good I know of everybody. 

- Benjamin Franklin

The Sufis advise us to speak only after our words have managed to pass through three gates.  At the first gate, we must ask ourselves, " Are these words true?" If so, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.  At the second gate, we must ask ourselves, "Are these words necessary?" If no, we let them pass on; if not, back they go.  At the last gate, we must ask, "Are they kind?" 

- Eknath Easwaran