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Showing posts with the label charity

How Small Acts of Kindness Change You and the World

A peaceful world really comes down to choice because we all carry with us, as human beings, not just the capacity to be kind, but the choice to be kind. by Michael Corthell ''This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.''  — Dalai Lama Kindness is defined by most folks as a behavior marked by ethical characteristics, a pleasant disposition, and concern for others. It is known as a virtue and recognized as something of high social value in almost all cultures and religions.  What does kindness mean to you? Am I kind enough in this topsy-turvy world? Is it even possible to practice kindness consistently? Everyone has heard the Golden Rule , but not everyone takes it to heart. Kindness often gets overlooked as a sign of weakness, and to an extent, it can be—there is such a thing as being too nice. But a little kindness can still go a

How to Practice Altruism and Compassion

We are all connected. Your happiness is my happiness and your suffering is my suffering. by Michael Corthell ''We are selfish.'' ''Greed is really good.'' ''Altruism is a dream.'' ''Cooperation is for idiots and fools.'' ''Competition is a natural human state, so war is inevitable.'' ''The bad in human nature is stronger than the good.'' Those negative comments come from people who obviously have a negative mindset, and this mindset is a learned way of thinking. Being positive or negative minded is a choice, therefore there are no excuses.  One of the greatest joys in life is to work together for the benefit of all. Compassion is an innate trait bestowed upon human beings by God that has enabled the survival of our species since birth. However, the degree to which individuals exercise compassion can vary significantly and be selective. "We are interconnected an

Finding Joy and Having a Wonderful Life

In 'It's a Wonderful Life'  An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.  We are all on Earth for a reason  Think of your past and give yourself credit for the good you have done, the people you have influenced and the joy you have brought. This Christmas season, whenever you hear a bell ring, think of something good you have done for others.  by Michael Corthell "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another." — Charles Dickens "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" may be the most famous phrase in the history of the United States. It is a God-given right protected by the Constitution. We are guaranteed the right to chase that happiness. How happy and joyful we become is entirely up to us. So, how do we pursue that happiness, that joyfulness? Let's take a look. Being sad, being disappointed, or facing severe challeng

What about love?

Before he spoke the words 'let there be light' he thought 'let there be love'. by Michael Corthell The standard definition of love is an unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another. And there is the highest form of love. Interestingly, that kind of love is also defined as Charity which is defined as the type of love God has for mankind. It is also the love we are to show for our neighbor. It embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends, and serves regardless of circumstances or consequences. When we become enlightened we come to understand that love does indeed heal all wounds, but more importantly, we understand that love is the true reason for our existence. King Solomon further describes love this way: Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done ag

How Can I Build Trust and Goodwill?

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” ― William Shakespeare, ''All's Well That Ends Well'' by Michael Corthell Love all. Do not restrict your love to just a few people, but have your heart open to everyone and give your love without prejudice. Trust a few. People need to realize that there are people out there who are intent on doing evil to you. So don’t just simple trust everyone with a naïve trust. Only trust a few people that you know and whose intentions are pure. Do wrong to none. Never do bad things to anyone. No one, whoever they are, deserves to be harmed by you. No matter what anyone else does, you should always do the right thing, even towards people who have done wrong to you(excepting self-defense of course). Be kind to everyone. One of the most valuable assets a human being can have is trust. It allows for openness, exchange of emotion and ideas. When there is no trust, it becomes very difficult to get anything done. It is truly

Can You Really Buy Happiness??

by Michael Corthell [Short answer: Yes, by and through giving] Shining a light and talking about money management in any moral context such as creating wealth, controlling the weight of debt, and investment income can be like lighting a match next to a case of dynamite. Money is like any other tool— it can be used for good, to create something good, or used to destroy—the use depends on the mindset of the user. It is very easy to let a healthy interest in asset/money management become an unhealthy obsession with materialism. ''The love of money causes all kinds of evil. Some people have turned away from what we believe because they want to get more and more money. But they have caused themselves a lot of pain and sorrow.'' — 1 Timothy 6:10            Today we will explore the ways God wants us to view money as a means of exchange and investment, plus our attitude toward material goods. As with practically everything in life good management is all about b

[Practice] ...doing no harm

“Even if all I did was stay away... it's still the best thing I ever did in my life.” ― Beverly Donofrio Life's Warning Label: Live your life, but harm no one. What you give out will be returned to you threefold. Who is like God? Do Good and Be Good!

[Compassion] I am You, You are Me...

  ''And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering;  if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.'' 1 Corinthians 12:26 Let me practice kindness, let me practice compassion, let me be joyful, and let me sing a song of love. Let me change one life, let me change the world. “A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” ― Albert Einstein

Your Heaven Can't Wait

“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.” ― Brian Tracy Loving all creatures is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Altruism is an act that rewards itself. “We have so far to go to realize our human potential for compassion, altruism, and love.” ― Jane Goodall, Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating

The Best Kind

Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved,  and believes in the goodness in people. What people want, what they really need is kindness shown to them when they feel they don't deserve it. That simple act, of seemingly undeserved consideration, can start a chain reaction of kindness. Nothing so rewarding and important as to make people realize that they are worthwhile. That's how one act of charity can change the world, and put us on the path to peace. “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Kindness has no religion. Religions are narrow, but kindness is like a wide open sky.

The Loving ONE

''Love is not patronizing and charity isn't about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same -- with charity you give love, so don't just give money but reach out your hand instead.'' ― Mother Teresa 'Who is like God?' When I ask for the gift of charity, I'm not asking for warm, fuzzy feelings toward someone who has injured or taken from me. Rather, what I'm actually asking for is to have my very nature changed, to have my character and constitution transformed to become more and more like God's, so that I actually feel as He would feel and behave as He would behave in any given situation.   ''Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.'' ― Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Forgiveness in an Age of Anger

by Michael Corthell The dictionary says that to 'forgive' means to stop being angry or resentful toward someone or something. That, of course, would also include yourself. In fact, that should be your first stop on any spiritual journey. And today, in 2021, that forgiving spirit could be the one thing that saves our world. ''...if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins...'' —Matthew 6 Forgiveness is about dissipating negative energy (self-loathing, grudges, victimization, etc.). These things can severely harm your health and wellbeing. (Forgiveness is not 'letting someone else or yourself 'off the hook' for harm caused, however.) Forgiveness is an act of love — first yourself and then others. First ,  you have to learn how to love and accept yourself for who and what you are by be

About socialism

Types of socialism include a range of economic and social systems characterized by social ownership and democratic control of the means of production and organizational self-management of enterprises as well as the political theories and movements associated with socialism . Social ownership may refer to forms of public , collective or cooperative ownership, or to citizen ownership of equity in which surplus value goes to the working class and hence society as a whole. There are many varieties of socialism and no single definition encapsulates all of them, but social ownership is the common element shared by its various forms. Socialists disagree about the degree to which social control or regulation of the economy is necessary; how far society should intervene and whether government, particularly existing government, is the correct vehicle for change are issues of disagreement. FMI