"We become what we think about." ~ Earl Nightingale

Welcome to Sacred Ruminations

I hope you'll look around & leave comments
then visit me at my new blog ...

Giraffe Journal

and/or website ... Labyrinth Journal
both self-hosted at WordPress
where I publish as myself
rather than under a
pseudonym.

I've not had much time for posting or blog visits, but if you're interested I hope you'll find time to check out my new blog, Giraffe Journal or my Labyrinth Journal website ... both self hosted at WordPress.

Thanks for your visit and have a delightful day ;--)
Hugs and blessings,


Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Kind Fives Meme from Everyday Kindness



A while back Claudia of Everyday Kindness
tagged me with a "Kind Fives Meme"
and today I'm going to
give it a go.

Directions:
1. List five kind things you do for yourself.
2. List five kind things you do for your closest friend, partner, or child.
3. List five kind things you have done for a stranger.
4. Tag five people

Easy? Right! So ... here I go. Since I have difficulty following "rules" I've substituted categories for my "fur-friend" and "neighbors" and omitted "friends & family" ... so feel free to modify as needed for your life.

Five kind things I do for myself
1. Eat healthily, walk daily, attend Weight Watcher meetings each week, drink the water and keep track of my food choices.
2. Pay attention to my body so that I rest when I'm tired, eat when I'm hungry, socialize when I'm in need of connection, and retreat when I need solitude.
3. Accept myself as I am ... forgive my mistakes ... make friends with my inner critic ... and take appropriate risks to stretch myself.
4. Abstain from watching violence on television and/or in movies, listen to uplifting and upbeat music, and read widely in a variety of genres.
5. Take time to meditate, pray, and write in my journal daily ... for as long as feels right.

Five kind things I do for my 3-year old Labrador Retriever, Molly. (Note: I do similar things for my feral cat, but will not elaborate here)
1. Spend the extra money required to feed her IVD Duck & Potato Kibble (and/or IVD D&P canned food) purchased from my vet to keep her healthy. Give her healthy treats, an occasional Greenie, and lots of Nylabone and Kong toys for her to chew on safely.
2. Play her favorite games (fetch, tug of war and keep away) with her several times each day, walk her daily around the neighborhood, arrange "play dates" with neighbor's dogs she enjoys, and take her to Dog Beach a couple of times each week when weather permits.
3. Give her Revolution monthly to keep her healthy and visit the vet as needed for check ups & shots.
4. Bathe her myself after beach visits and/or take her to the groomer periodically.
5. Leave her in a safe, fun, cage-free environment with loving handlers where she can interact with other dogs, swim, play and enjoy herself when I need to travel.

Five kind things I have done neighbors
1. Save them from parking tickets on street-sweeping days by knocking on their doors to remind them to move their cars on 1st & 3rd Mondays and Tuesdays before 10 AM.
2. Move their collection bins on "trash day" when they forget to take them out or put them back. Pick up newspapers and fliers left in the yards when neighbors overlook them and/or are away.
3. Share the lemons and limes from my citrus trees.
4. Feed, water, and exercise dogs (and/or cats) while owners are away.
5. Visit as they pass by on their way to and from the ocean, offering them a place to sit & rest on my patio when time permits.

Five kind things I have done for strangers
1. Make eye contact, smile, and/or speak to people I meet when I'm walking with (or without) Molly.
2. Donate "goods" to organizations like the Salvation Army, Red Cross and Goodwill.
3. Pray regularly for the world, our leaders, my county & community, and for individuals whether or not I know them.
4. Pick up trash and/or glass at the beach ... (yes even dog poop) ... so that it's cleaner and safer for children to play there. I always have extra bags with me and share those with dog owners who find themselves unprepared.
5. I try to share uplifting, inspirational, and/or interesting information here and at Small Reflections. I pass along "awards" that have been given to me, and I endeavor to leave thoughtful & supportive comments when I visit the blogs of others.

I don't wish to tag anyone specifically, but I hope that readers will choose to tag themselves and/or at least give thought to (some or all) the questions and consider how you might respond.

If you decide to take this "tag" back to your blog and post there, please leave a link back here and to the original post at Everyday Kindness so we can read your Kind Fives and (as an incentive) you're welcome to snag the "award" below when you do so.


If you wish share an idea in comments, that's fine too, and if you'd like to visit others participating in Everyday Kindness you'll find that list at Blog Rolls, Bling, & Blurbs.

Thought for Today
"Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think." Buddha

20 comments:

Monique Kleinhans said...

What a beautiful post! And I'm in love with how you share your love with the world. :) I think I'll take this on as well, but not today (as I'm fighting a cold and one of my things that I'm going to do for myself is not 'take on' anything more that what is on my list for the day.

Blessings to you! Thanks for loving life and sharing it!

Maude Lynn said...

What a cool meme! And, what a lucky dog you have!

Kayce aka lucy said...

love this list of kindness!!!

storyteller said...

Ladybug – Thanks for the positive feedback. Methinks it helps to be “happily retired” … but if I think back to my working life, I’m sure my list would be different yet similar in content. As for taking it on … I let it sit for a week before getting around to it and I’m not nearly as busy as you. Whenever you have time and the inclination is fine. Just remember to let me know. So … did you find the “E” award I left for you this weekend? Inquiring minds want to know.

Mama Zen – It’s nice to find something fresh and new to “meme” about isn’t it? I suppose Molly is a lucky pooch … but I’m equally fortunate to have this loving fur-friend in my life.

Lucy – Thanks. I’m glad Claudia decided to start the meme and I hope folks pick it up around the Blogosphere.

I was tempted to add a 5th section (to make it 5s all around) and even posted it with one initially, but it looked daunting to read so I dumped it. Folks might not want to do it all at once but they could decide to do a section a week for five weeks (or perhaps post a section monthly) as an alternative, and that could be fun. Maybe I’ll play with possibilities and post about it down the line.

Thanks to each of you for your support. I hope you’re having a delightful day.
Hugs and blessings,

CG said...

Thank you for visiting my blog and I've really enjoyed reading about your Kindnesses. Your dog is a very lucky girl indeed! I like the design of your blog very much and I'm sure I'll be back! {{HUGS}}

Momisodes said...

What a great take on this meme :) I've missed your blog entries over the last week. I'm so glad to have read this post today. The more I read about you, the more I wish we were neighbors! You are such a great mommy to Molly, and I aspire to be able to do your 5 kind things for myself too :)

Mother of Invention said...

You are indeed a kind person as well as kind blogger!
I think Spirutual Kindness transcends all religions.

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

I am loving my visit to you blog. I love your list...Mary

Sue said...

What a cool post! :) Awww, you're kind :) I like people who pick up rubbish off the beach :) My dog too loves the dog beach - in fact, I think that is his vocation, chasing a ball at the beach. It's what he was born for :)

storyteller said...

CG – Thanks for returning the visit. Yup … my Molly’s a lucky (but deserving) sweet-heart! I appreciate the kind words and look forward to getting better acquainted.

Sandy – Ohmygosh! You’re visiting blogs??? Does that mean you’re unpacked and settled or are you just taking a break? I wish you lived closer too, in fact if you didn’t live so far away I would have been over there helping you move over the weekend. Seriously! I’ll need to check Momisodes for an update when I finish with email. I’ll look forward to your version of the Kind Fives Meme when you get around to it.

MoI – Thanks so much for your positive support and feedback. I do believe I’m a fortunate gal indeed and I’m happy my friends managed to get me into the Blogosphere so I could meet everyone.

Mary Isabella – Thank you for visiting Sacred Ruminations today and leaving a link so I could find your blog. I’m sorry to learn that your husband isn’t well … that his leg is getting worse before it gets better. I shall remember both of you in my prayers.

Sue – Thanks! Actually I learned the “beach cleanup” from my Dad who taught me to leave a place cleaner than I found it. He used to pick up glass and other sharp objects from the sand so kids wouldn’t hurt themselves and I adopted the habit after he died once I moved near the ocean.

I appreciate each of your comments so much and hope you’ve had a delightful day.
Hugs and blessings,

Mike Golch said...

you have such a way of writing,you really Rock,so much so that I have an award waiting for you at my site.Just look for the lion and take a copy of it with you and pass it on as you see fit.Blessing and Hugs,Mike

storyteller said...

Mike – Thanks so much for your kind words about my writing and for the award. That’s very thoughtful of you. I appreciate your encouragement and support.
Hugs and blessings,

Karen said...

What a lovely meme--it's good to stop and think about the nice things we do, rather than focusing on all the negatives we think we need to work on.

Kind Claudia said...

Very well done! I love the way you did this - and all the kindness you generate in this world. Hurray!

storyteller said...

Karen – Thanks … I couldn’t agree more ;--)

Claudia – I appreciate your visit and kind feedback today. I’m glad you decided to start this meme at Everyday Kindness, and I hope others will participate as well.

Hugs and blessings to both of you,

Tina Coruth said...

Storyteller,

This is a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing it. :-)

Tina

Anonymous said...

Love your answers. And I like what you've done/are doing for strangers especially #3.

VERB

Makimeji

storyteller said...

Tina – Thanks so much for visiting and for your positive feedback. I somehow missed the email notification of your comment when you left it way back in February, but fortunately received Zamejias’ email notification today … and when I came here to respond to her, I found your comment too ;--)

Zamejias – I appreciate your email …(re: my silly omission when leaving the link on your blog today)… and your supportive comment here on my Kind Fives. I’m definitely a believer in the power of prayer!

Hugs and blessings to both of you!

Joyce said...

That is a wonderful post, Storyteller. :) Thank you for linking back to it so I could read and enjoy what you had to say. :)

storyteller said...

Joyce – You’re certainly welcome and thanks for your feedback. I hope you’ll consider taking on this meme yourself sometime. Mine is much more ‘complex and wordy’ than it need to be. I’ve given some thought to doing it in a simplified form another time at Small Reflections. Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend ;--)
Hugs and blessings,