Kindness Cure
Posted by Dyan at 11/23/2008 11:24 AM and is filed under uncategorized 
Who among us could not use a little kindness, especially now? I came across this interesting thing called the Kindness Cure. I now share this information with you. CJ Scarlet is one amazing lady and she was kind enough to also grant me an interview. Be kind enough to read on and find out out about what the Kindness Cure has to do with you. It can transform your life!
C J Scarlet and the Kindness Cure
CJ learned about the power of kindness the hard way. At the age of 12 she was sexually assaulted. Then as an adult she was diagnosed with Lupus and Scleroderma. When she was told her long-term disability had become life threatening, her world fell apart. Then a Tibetan lama commanded her to “stop feeling sorry for herself and focus on the happiness of others” and her life was transformed. The lama next ordered CJ to teach others the secrets to happiness that she had learned and the idea for the Kindness Cure Campaign was born.
CJ Scarlet, M.A., CCP, is an award-winning author, motivational speaker and certified life transitions coach. CJ has been named one of the “Happy 100” people on the planet, and is featured in the bestseller Happy for No Reason by Chicken Soup for the Soul author Marci Shimoff. CJ's new book, Neptune's Gift: Discovering Your Inner Ocean, is being heralded by mega author Jack Canfield as the "Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the new century."
CJ is the mother of three wonderful children, and resides in North Carolina with her devoted husband and two very spoiled Cocker Spaniels.
Beginning November 17th, CJ will visit a wide variety of blogs, radio shows and more to share her message. As you read above, she is working to bring legions of people into this project and you are only asked to do one kind thing each week for the next year. You can help anyone who needs a helping hand. Let's spread the word and spread positive thoughts and actions around the world.
Take a few minutes to watch CJ's video which explains what she is doing and shows you some of the things she has done - www.youtube.com/thekissrevolution. Each person is invited to visit http://www.thekindnesscure.org and join the revolution. This is a social network where you can learn more about Kindness for the Cure and share the acts of kindness that you do. This is a chance to do something very positive, inspiring and heart warming. When was the last time you had a chance to join a positive worldwide revolution?
1. What made you decide to start the Kindness Cure? Was there a defining moment?
I started the Kindness Cure Campaign when I was prompted by my book launch manager, Lisa Miles Brady, to stretch beyond my book and think about how to create a real community and a visceral experience for people. I thought about what a Tibetan lama told me about sharing the secret to happiness I had learned from him—that kindness toward others is the best way to help one’s self—and decided to help heal others by teaching them how simple and rewarding is it to act kindly. The “moment” came in the middle of the night after my conversation with Lisa. I suddenly had the vision of one million acts of kindness being performed in one year and was moved to tears by the idea that I, an average person, could actually make this happen. This experience is transforming my life and making me so aware of how genuinely wonderful most people are. We tend to get caught up in the horrible stories on the news, but the violence of the world is definitely outweighed by the goodness.
2. What is your definition of negativity in the world?
At the heart of negativity is selfishness. Selfish thinking and negativity impact our hearts and minds at the deepest level. One of my favorite quotes is that “acting from a place of anger or hatred is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Or as one member of the Kindness Cure wrote, “You will not be punished FOR your anger; you will be punished BY your anger.” Selfishness is as destructive to one’s self as it is to others, and only when we have peace within will we have peace on earth.
3. Kindness really is so simple. How do we know that when we're engaging in random acts of kindness we aren't just doing it to make ourselves feel better?
Acting kindly is holy when it comes from a place of selflessness, but even if you begin being kind in order to feel good about yourself, that’s a good start. I remember one day when I was feeling really unappreciated by my family. I was having a pity party that was rapidly turning into a grand pity ball when I stopped and thought, “This feels terrible. What can I do to make myself feel better?” The answer, I knew, was that to get what I wanted, I had to give it away to someone else. [This works for love, appreciation, wealth (the concept behind tithing), compassion, etc]. So I picked up the phone and dialed a random number, getting the voice mail of a computer guy in a store. I left the following message, “You don’t know me, but I wanted to tell you that even if the people in your life don’t always remember to tell you, you are appreciated!” I hung up the phone and smiled broadly. I felt fantastic! In 15 seconds I had turned my foul mood completely around—and made someone’s day at the same time! When I first began following the lama’s advice to “to stop feeling sorry for myself and start thinking about the happiness of others,” I immediately noticed that when I extended kindness to others, I felt a flush of happiness. Along with that came a nice rush of endorphins that decreased my pain and gave a boost to my immune system. The happier I became, the better I felt until, just two years later, my life-threatening heart and autoimmune conditions went into remission! So my attitude is, kindness for any reason is a good thing!
4. If kindness is so simple, why do so many people perceive it as so hard?
I believe that when people think of acts of kindness, they imagine major acts of sacrifice. They think of people who give up lucrative careers to feed children in Ethiopia or forego a family life to provide medical care to beggars in India. Those are extraordinary acts performed by people who are, I think, secret saints. But for most of us, this is impractical and even intimidating. The truth is, the glue that holds our fragile society together is the small acts of kindness that regular people perform on a daily basis. I think people often don’t appreciate how kind they already are—holding the subway door open, picking up a piece of trash off the street, adopting an animal, donating to a charity, smiling at a stranger… These are the things that we do all day, every day, without even thinking about it. Sometimes the best and simplest acts are free or cost very little in terms of money or personal commitment. That is why many of my daily acts of kindness focus on simple things, like giving a flower to a store clerk or sending a note to a friend who is down. I want to show people that little things can make a big difference.
5. In what specific ways does receiving an annonomous gift really affect someone? How do you know it doesn't make them feel worse about themselves?
When you go on The Kindness Cure, our social networking site, you will find numerous stories shared by people who were the recipients of acts of kindness, some of which happened decades ago, that have never been forgotten. I honestly haven’t heard a single story involving someone who felt bad about an act of kindness performed on their behalf. When someone extends love or compassion or kindness toward us, we feel most human and validated; the very center of our goodness reverberates at all levels---physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. We feel appreciated. We feel loved. There’s nothing like it to remind us how wonderful people really can be.
6. How do small acts of kindness make a difference in our world?
Performing small acts of kindness is like throwing pebbles into a pond; the ripples reach far beyond the simple point of impact. Think back to a day when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Didn’t it seem as if everyone was grumpy and rude that day? Now think of a day when you felt on top of the world. Didn’t it seem as if everyone was smiling and welcoming you? Compare those two memories and appreciate that you yourself were the reason others seemed to act as they did. You get back what you put out there into the world. It’s as simple as that. You also infect the rest of the world with what you put out—be it negative or positive. I can think of countless times when I have been down or angry and the laugh or smile of another person made those feelings evaporate. I can also think of times when someone’s foul mood led me to lose my joy and feel badly. (Both reactions, btw, were entirely my choice, I just didn’t know it then!)
7. How do these transform us in a "bigger picture" kind of way?
At the physical level, small acts of kindness literally change our chemical make-up. Research has proven that performing or even hearing about an act of kindness causes the body to release endorphins and serotonin (anti-depressant chemicals) and reduce stress. That is why shows like Extreme Home Makeover are so popular. Kindness also changes our mental mood, making us feel and behave more positively. I think it also makes us feel more connected with our spiritual side, which creates leads to greater faith, hope and love.
8. What's the best way for someone to get involved in the Kindness Cure?
What a great questionJ We’d like to get as many people as possible on our site (www.thekindnesscure.org) to sign up and commit to performing at least one act of kindness—random or otherwise—each week. Most people perform multiple small and large acts every day, so it’s no stretch really. On our site we’re adding a button people can click to indicate how many acts of kindness they have performed each day or each week, so we can keep a running tally of the acts of kindness. Our goal is one million, but I’m secretly hoping for ten times that. Folks can also invite others to join the site and create a profile. On thekindnesscure.org people can view our latest videos of my 365 acts of kindness, participate in a discussion group, chat with friends, read the very motivating kindness stories shared by others, and share some of their own. I guarantee that if you come to the site, you’ll leave feeling deeply touched and inspired. For more information, please visit us at www.thekindnesscure.org!
Thank you so much, Dyan, for featuring us on your site. Your kindness is appreciated!
-CJ Scarlet
For More Information: See What It’s All About - http://www.thekindnesscure.org/video and this is CJ Scarlet’s website – www.cjscarlet.com We Invite You To Join the Kindness Cure Social Network And Share The Progress of the Kindness Cure - http://www.thekindnesscure.orgFor full details about the Kindness Cure Virtual Tour - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/cj-scarlet-is-starting-kiss-revolution.html
______________________________
Free Angel Card Readings in 3 languages, free tarot, free astrology, free spiritual forum with free spiritual guidance. www.voiceoftheangels.com/home.html. Angel readings, taror readings, e mail readings.
C J Scarlet and the Kindness Cure
CJ learned about the power of kindness the hard way. At the age of 12 she was sexually assaulted. Then as an adult she was diagnosed with Lupus and Scleroderma. When she was told her long-term disability had become life threatening, her world fell apart. Then a Tibetan lama commanded her to “stop feeling sorry for herself and focus on the happiness of others” and her life was transformed. The lama next ordered CJ to teach others the secrets to happiness that she had learned and the idea for the Kindness Cure Campaign was born.
CJ Scarlet, M.A., CCP, is an award-winning author, motivational speaker and certified life transitions coach. CJ has been named one of the “Happy 100” people on the planet, and is featured in the bestseller Happy for No Reason by Chicken Soup for the Soul author Marci Shimoff. CJ's new book, Neptune's Gift: Discovering Your Inner Ocean, is being heralded by mega author Jack Canfield as the "Jonathan Livingston Seagull for the new century."
CJ is the mother of three wonderful children, and resides in North Carolina with her devoted husband and two very spoiled Cocker Spaniels.
Beginning November 17th, CJ will visit a wide variety of blogs, radio shows and more to share her message. As you read above, she is working to bring legions of people into this project and you are only asked to do one kind thing each week for the next year. You can help anyone who needs a helping hand. Let's spread the word and spread positive thoughts and actions around the world.
Take a few minutes to watch CJ's video which explains what she is doing and shows you some of the things she has done - www.youtube.com/thekissrevolution. Each person is invited to visit http://www.thekindnesscure.org and join the revolution. This is a social network where you can learn more about Kindness for the Cure and share the acts of kindness that you do. This is a chance to do something very positive, inspiring and heart warming. When was the last time you had a chance to join a positive worldwide revolution?
1. What made you decide to start the Kindness Cure? Was there a defining moment?I started the Kindness Cure Campaign when I was prompted by my book launch manager, Lisa Miles Brady, to stretch beyond my book and think about how to create a real community and a visceral experience for people. I thought about what a Tibetan lama told me about sharing the secret to happiness I had learned from him—that kindness toward others is the best way to help one’s self—and decided to help heal others by teaching them how simple and rewarding is it to act kindly. The “moment” came in the middle of the night after my conversation with Lisa. I suddenly had the vision of one million acts of kindness being performed in one year and was moved to tears by the idea that I, an average person, could actually make this happen. This experience is transforming my life and making me so aware of how genuinely wonderful most people are. We tend to get caught up in the horrible stories on the news, but the violence of the world is definitely outweighed by the goodness.
2. What is your definition of negativity in the world?
At the heart of negativity is selfishness. Selfish thinking and negativity impact our hearts and minds at the deepest level. One of my favorite quotes is that “acting from a place of anger or hatred is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Or as one member of the Kindness Cure wrote, “You will not be punished FOR your anger; you will be punished BY your anger.” Selfishness is as destructive to one’s self as it is to others, and only when we have peace within will we have peace on earth.
3. Kindness really is so simple. How do we know that when we're engaging in random acts of kindness we aren't just doing it to make ourselves feel better?
Acting kindly is holy when it comes from a place of selflessness, but even if you begin being kind in order to feel good about yourself, that’s a good start. I remember one day when I was feeling really unappreciated by my family. I was having a pity party that was rapidly turning into a grand pity ball when I stopped and thought, “This feels terrible. What can I do to make myself feel better?” The answer, I knew, was that to get what I wanted, I had to give it away to someone else. [This works for love, appreciation, wealth (the concept behind tithing), compassion, etc]. So I picked up the phone and dialed a random number, getting the voice mail of a computer guy in a store. I left the following message, “You don’t know me, but I wanted to tell you that even if the people in your life don’t always remember to tell you, you are appreciated!” I hung up the phone and smiled broadly. I felt fantastic! In 15 seconds I had turned my foul mood completely around—and made someone’s day at the same time! When I first began following the lama’s advice to “to stop feeling sorry for myself and start thinking about the happiness of others,” I immediately noticed that when I extended kindness to others, I felt a flush of happiness. Along with that came a nice rush of endorphins that decreased my pain and gave a boost to my immune system. The happier I became, the better I felt until, just two years later, my life-threatening heart and autoimmune conditions went into remission! So my attitude is, kindness for any reason is a good thing!
4. If kindness is so simple, why do so many people perceive it as so hard?
I believe that when people think of acts of kindness, they imagine major acts of sacrifice. They think of people who give up lucrative careers to feed children in Ethiopia or forego a family life to provide medical care to beggars in India. Those are extraordinary acts performed by people who are, I think, secret saints. But for most of us, this is impractical and even intimidating. The truth is, the glue that holds our fragile society together is the small acts of kindness that regular people perform on a daily basis. I think people often don’t appreciate how kind they already are—holding the subway door open, picking up a piece of trash off the street, adopting an animal, donating to a charity, smiling at a stranger… These are the things that we do all day, every day, without even thinking about it. Sometimes the best and simplest acts are free or cost very little in terms of money or personal commitment. That is why many of my daily acts of kindness focus on simple things, like giving a flower to a store clerk or sending a note to a friend who is down. I want to show people that little things can make a big difference.
5. In what specific ways does receiving an annonomous gift really affect someone? How do you know it doesn't make them feel worse about themselves?
When you go on The Kindness Cure, our social networking site, you will find numerous stories shared by people who were the recipients of acts of kindness, some of which happened decades ago, that have never been forgotten. I honestly haven’t heard a single story involving someone who felt bad about an act of kindness performed on their behalf. When someone extends love or compassion or kindness toward us, we feel most human and validated; the very center of our goodness reverberates at all levels---physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. We feel appreciated. We feel loved. There’s nothing like it to remind us how wonderful people really can be.
6. How do small acts of kindness make a difference in our world?
Performing small acts of kindness is like throwing pebbles into a pond; the ripples reach far beyond the simple point of impact. Think back to a day when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Didn’t it seem as if everyone was grumpy and rude that day? Now think of a day when you felt on top of the world. Didn’t it seem as if everyone was smiling and welcoming you? Compare those two memories and appreciate that you yourself were the reason others seemed to act as they did. You get back what you put out there into the world. It’s as simple as that. You also infect the rest of the world with what you put out—be it negative or positive. I can think of countless times when I have been down or angry and the laugh or smile of another person made those feelings evaporate. I can also think of times when someone’s foul mood led me to lose my joy and feel badly. (Both reactions, btw, were entirely my choice, I just didn’t know it then!)
7. How do these transform us in a "bigger picture" kind of way?
At the physical level, small acts of kindness literally change our chemical make-up. Research has proven that performing or even hearing about an act of kindness causes the body to release endorphins and serotonin (anti-depressant chemicals) and reduce stress. That is why shows like Extreme Home Makeover are so popular. Kindness also changes our mental mood, making us feel and behave more positively. I think it also makes us feel more connected with our spiritual side, which creates leads to greater faith, hope and love.
8. What's the best way for someone to get involved in the Kindness Cure?
What a great questionJ We’d like to get as many people as possible on our site (www.thekindnesscure.org) to sign up and commit to performing at least one act of kindness—random or otherwise—each week. Most people perform multiple small and large acts every day, so it’s no stretch really. On our site we’re adding a button people can click to indicate how many acts of kindness they have performed each day or each week, so we can keep a running tally of the acts of kindness. Our goal is one million, but I’m secretly hoping for ten times that. Folks can also invite others to join the site and create a profile. On thekindnesscure.org people can view our latest videos of my 365 acts of kindness, participate in a discussion group, chat with friends, read the very motivating kindness stories shared by others, and share some of their own. I guarantee that if you come to the site, you’ll leave feeling deeply touched and inspired. For more information, please visit us at www.thekindnesscure.org!
Thank you so much, Dyan, for featuring us on your site. Your kindness is appreciated!
-CJ Scarlet
For More Information: See What It’s All About - http://www.thekindnesscure.org/video and this is CJ Scarlet’s website – www.cjscarlet.com We Invite You To Join the Kindness Cure Social Network And Share The Progress of the Kindness Cure - http://www.thekindnesscure.orgFor full details about the Kindness Cure Virtual Tour - http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/10/cj-scarlet-is-starting-kiss-revolution.html
______________________________
Free Angel Card Readings in 3 languages, free tarot, free astrology, free spiritual forum with free spiritual guidance. www.voiceoftheangels.com/home.html. Angel readings, taror readings, e mail readings.
Thank you so much for the wonderful interview on your great blog! I'm sure we'll get many new members as a result of your enthusiastic support. I appreciate your kindness to our cause and wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Warmly, CJ Scarlet
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Thank your for your enthusiastic support of our cause!
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What a great interview - I love learning what inspired another to stretch their comfort zone - brava to CJ for taking the chance and going for her vision of creating 1,000,000 acts of kindess and what that could truly DO for the world!
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Thank you for sharing this! What a wonderful idea, so wonderful in fact I signed up. Its a proven fact that when you are depressed all you need to do is a random act of kindness. Blessings to you Dyan!
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