Soul Food The Force of Kindness
“If you knew as I did, the power of giving, you would not let a single day pass without sharing.” Buddha
Why Kindness?
Now is the time to reclaim the force of kindness as sexy, revolutionary and radical. For too long, kindness has been viewed as weak, soft, boring and the thing we reach for as a last resort. However, all the visionaries, sages and scientists have all pointed to kindness as our planet’s greatest need - kindness toward ourselves, each other and the natural world.
Could small and seemingly insignificant kind acts be the key to a deep shift that cracks opens our hearts, expands our limited small sense of identity, deepens our happiness, sparks our creativity, reduces greed and cultivates genuine community?
Wake Up Sydney! is interested in experimenting with radical kindness as one of our most powerful and transformative spiritual practices. By cultivating awareness of the present moment, stepping out of our habitual patterns and being curious and spontaneous with kindness, we begin to awaken the radical force of compassion.
Sydney as the Global Hub of Kindness.
Could Sydney become the kindness capital of the world? Could we create a game that is fun, heart opening and renewing? Well, for the last three months, 1000’s of Sydneysiders have responded to these questions by visiting our website (www.wakeupsydney.com.au) to order free “Kindness Cards”. Each person receives a beautifully designed greeting card and a pack of five cards urging them to “do something kind” and some ideas to get their creative kindness juices flowing. Our hope is that these packs of kindness will inspire 1000’s of anonymous kind acts around Sydney.
Well, after 3 short months, this “experiment” has already delivered more than I could have imagined. I regularly wake up in the morning, open my inbox and read touching stories of people giving and receiving kindness. Here’s a story that arrived last week:
“After a fairly tough week at work I got home to find a large bunch of beautiful yellow flowers at my door. Intrigued as to why they were sent or who the sender was I opened the card which simply said 'Have a beautiful day' and read the kindness card. I then discovered a post it note on the vase from my neighbour who said they didn't want my flowers to die so she had put them in the vase complete with decorative pebbles. So I got to experience 2 acts of random kindness. I feel humbled and special and determined to pass it on. It's brilliant!”
It is a strange experience to simultaneously read touching stories of kindness alongside fear based news stories of financial crisis and worry. The question that now arises in my mind is “Would there really be anything to worry about if we saw ourselves as kind friends living in a community rather than competing consumers living in an economy?”
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Wake Up Sydney! is a new breed of social business dedicated to fostering the relationship between personal transformation, artistry and compassionate action. Our purpose is to awaken your innate capacity to be a beneficial presence and provide practical support for its fullest expression into the world. We find teachers, artists, leaders and authors who serve as a gateway to personal transformation and then produce inspirational events and films to spotlight their work. We blend stillness, artistic traditions, science, humanities and the world’s major spiritual traditions. Everything we do has a fresh view. We take the dogma out, the new ageyness out, the stigma out and replace it with a fresh vibe that allows for individual expression. To join the kindness revolution and receive your kindness cards, check out www.wakeupsydney.com.au
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