Honesty Paid Off For Dave
About a year ago, a homeless man in Arizona found a bag full of cash and made a fateful decision: he returned it. 49-year-old Dave Tally was in debt, unemployed, had lost his driver's license for DUI violations, sleeping on a mat when he found $3,300 at a local light-rail station. When he returned it to its owner, a college kid, the gratitude and kindness of the kid touched him. "He hadn't had... posted on Dec 01 2011, 5,636 reads

Learning Tranquility at Stanford
Sixty-four Stanford students escape from the campus hustle and find tranquility for two hours a week in the lower level of a campus library. There, they might start class by telling the person next to them about a positive experience from the day, or by updating their gratitude journals. Or, they might simply close their eyes and sit silently, concentrating on relaxing tense muscles and breathing ... posted on Nov 30 2011, 7,911 reads

A 14-yr-old's Clothing Closet for All
Like many 14-year-olds, Katelyn Eystad has a lot of clothes in her closet -- but hers are to give away. In 2009, Katelyn founded a Clothing Closet to provide clothing, diapers, deodorant and more to people in need in her community. With the help of her sisters and mother, she has already served 1,500 families. "What a blessing this child has been to many. Katelyn is always volunteering and giving ... posted on Nov 25 2011, 9,080 reads

Attitude of Gratitude
Cultivating an "attitude of gratitude" has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners. A new study shows that feeling grateful makes people less likely to turn aggressive when provoked. How to practice gratitude? Research shows that those who keep a simple gratitude... posted on Nov 24 2011, 6,207 reads

Kindness Remembered 41 Years Later
Sometimes acts of kindness seem to conspire at times when they are most needed. Here's one such story of a kindness received 41 years ago, when ... "I was twenty-four years old and three months pregnant when my husband died. I was a widow and an expectant mother in the same day. We had bought a new home and I had filled our two bedroom apartment with nursery items in anticipation of moving in. ... posted on Nov 23 2011, 5,317 reads

Multivariate Bridges and Metaphysical Mangoes
"Last weekend, my friend Nimo came to the group with a problem. On the main pathway between a slum and the nonprofit Manav Sadhna (MS), a stream had built up due to the persistent rain we've been getting lately. The issue was that kids from the slum trying to get to MS had to cross the stream daily or more with no proper way to walk, and between the water's filthiness and the pressure it was rushi... posted on Nov 18 2011, 5,874 reads

Students Stepping Up the Kindness
How amazing would it be to start the first day of school receiving random acts of kindness from your fellow students? Last year, a hundred students at Kansas State huddled early in the morning to see just how they could pool their time, money and creativity to surprise (and even shock!) their fellow students with unexpected generosity. From a welcome applause to paying for meals to wowing a driver... posted on Nov 16 2011, 3,404 reads

Celebrating World Kindness Day
Today is World Kindness Day, and we thought you'd enjoy this real-world story of spreading smiles. "'Right on. This is my kind of protest,' he says while going past me. I hadn't thought of it way before. But perhaps it is a protest -- for lack of smiles in the world. About 15 of us gathered earlier today to create poster boards that we would proudly hold up on busy street intersections of San Fran... posted on Nov 13 2011, 3,413 reads

An Amazon Tour Guide's Inspiring Story
Nearly 21 years ago, Patty Webster landed her dream job as an adventure tour guide in the Peruvian Amazon. But as she shared the area's beauty and culture with tourists, she realized there was a darker side to the rainforest paradise. "I saw how poor they were and realized that people were dying because they didn't have medical care," Webster said. She started sharing her supplies with the locals ... posted on Nov 07 2011, 3,802 reads

Remembering Kindness 41 Years Later
"I was a widow and an expectant mother in the same day. We had bought a new home and I had filled our two bedroom apartment with nursery items in anticipation of moving in. Now the house would be taken away. I knew I would have to go back to my parents' home, at least until I delivered the baby. And the shock of my husband's sudden death had made losing the baby a very real possibility. I moved ba... posted on Nov 05 2011, 6,554 reads