She’s Made Spreading Kindness Her Mission Born in Pakistan and adopted by a Dutch family during a time when cross cultural adoptions were unheard of, Gabriella Van Rij was bullied by schoolmates who taunted her for the color of her skin. Gabriella documents her experience and life lessons in her autobiography, “With All My Might.” Gabriella has made kindness her mission and shared her views on why “tolerance is not acceptance” and kindness starts with You! Gabriella notes that we all need to choose our words with care and, as important, watch your delivery. We all have the ability to be kinder to one another
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The Dalai Lama once said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible” These days kindness seems to be replaced by chaos. Mall brawls, road rage, bullying, racism, rudeness, disrespect and disregard for authority or for anyone “not like us” monopolize stories in the media. It is too much! The new year gives us all the opportunity to clear the slate and try to make things better. Making new year’s resolutions is a ritual for me. It sets the tone and my goals for my year, and it can do the same for you. I think we can all
Read more →I have the greatest respect for traditions, especially around the holidays. Maintaining longstanding traditions that are meaningful and joyful are always good for the spirit. They are like the glue that seals the passages of time and bonds you to others and to a sense of place. Many people have special traditions over the holidays, whether it’s familiar dishes or gathering places, decorations or songs, or people to spend time with either at home or away. But sometimes you need to take a break. This can be a delicate matter when it involves family and longtime friends who may not understand
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There comes a point in everyone’s life when you’ll face a breakup. I’m not talking about calling it off with a significant other or divorcing a spouse or anything involving a romantic relationship. I’m talking about breaking off with people who provide you goods and services, perhaps for many years. And then one day you decide to make a switch. Maybe you were unhappy with someone’s services. Maybe you felt you needed a fresh look or new approach. Maybe a better offer or price presented itself and you wanted to give it a try. Maybe you moved neighborhoods or cities.
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Most of us will gather around a Thanksgiving table laden with food and surrounded by family and friends. We’ll stuff ourselves silly, share laughs and take photos. Some of us may visit a soup kitchen, stop by a church or run in a morning Turkey trot. It will be an abundant day filled with gratitude. But after the meal is over and the table is cleared here are two morsels to keep fresh forever: Thank more. Give more. Being thankful is not just for a special occasion; it’s a way of life. The simple words “Thank you” can nourish the spirit
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I’m usually not a nervous eater, but the night of November 8 watching the presidential election results on television I reached for everything in sight to stuff my face. Like a bad hangover, my lethargy and unease lingered for days. I found reading Facebook posts and watching the news upsetting. As the week progressed I found myself less upset by the outcome and more anxious by the outpouring of anger that resonated coast to coast. People were angry before the election; people are angry after. If I felt anxiety as an adult, I can’t imagine what young kids watching the news
Read more →“She’s a real go-getter.” I’ve heard that line more times than I can count. It’s a compliment for anyone who likes to take action, try new things, set goals and achieve results. A go-getter makes things happen. She’s an energizer. There’s another type of person. That person is a go-giver. She’s someone who focuses her energy on giving over getting. She seeks to give more of herself than get more from others. Achievement is measured by the meaningful things she does rather by the many things she achieves. A go-getter can also be a go giver. The two are not mutually exclusive.
Read more →I believe the most beautiful women are the ones who are brave. These are women who are confident in their bodies, cool under pressure and kind to others. They face fear calmly, deal with setbacks as deftly as they can, avoid the pity party and pay it forward. Brave girls focus on self actualization not self criticism. They may step out of their comfort zone but know when to lean in for help and when to lend a hand to offer help. Brave girls respect others and treat them with kindness even when others are less kind to them. They put on a strong front even
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I am not a “religious” person in the traditional sense. More spiritual. My January 1st birthday aside, I tend to ignore a specific day to celebrate and focus on a period of time, usually tied to the change of season. That’s why I find the annual Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, inspiring whether you practice Judaism or not. The celebration which began at sundown last night marks a period of personal reflection: asking for forgiveness, showing gratitude, focusing on acts of kindness and thinking about how you want to live your life with more purpose. Growing up I was told that at the start of Rosh Hashanah God took
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These two words sent shivers of dread down my spine: Fatal Error. My website content had been wiped out with no warning. Years of writing were missing. Was I hacked? Did I hit a wrong key? No one could figure it out at first. And, I did not have an adequate backup plan in place. I’d put saving money over safeguarding my site. At one point we weren’t sure if we could recover everything. I started to spin the scenario in my head. “Maybe this is an opportunity to create something new. I’ll start over with a fresh approach,” I said to myself. Fortunately, my
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I have learned that more people love to talk than listen. Between the pundits, politicians, experts and social posters on the internet, everyone’s talking and expressing an opinion. But how many are really tuned in and listening? These past few weeks I turned down the “noise” to address some personal matters that meant more to me than what people thought and said. I found it rather peaceful. No anxiety from the news and less time wasted scrolling through umpteen posts. I was able to have real conversations with people in person and by phone rather than just abrupt texts. For years I was a
Read more →Recently sidelined due to circumstances beyond our control we watched the world pass by from a window and screen. Boats cruised the river. Friends posted vacation photos. Technology linked us to family, friends and news. The world outside was sunny and active. Inside, the room was quiet and still, though the setting was more restless than restful. We released our frustration over canceled plans and resolved not to let an unfortunate detour deter our spirit. We adjusted our attitude rather than allow ourselves to feel derailed. We tried to make each day count rather than count the days. Ordering in different takeout foods became a daily treat. Things we take for granted, like stepping outside became
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