Tag: caring

Kindness Is Alive And Well!

by Mershon Niesner

Kindness is more than deeds. It’s an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It’s anything that lifts another person. Unknown

I’ve not had the best summer. Covid had me in it’s grip for nearly a month then the long wait for a new hip. The silver lining is the kindness I’ve experienced from friends who come a distance to visit, a helpful/caring husband, daily texts from my young granddaughter, notes of encouragement from friends, meals, kind medical personnel, prayers from many sources, and even my hairdresser who offered to come to my home to cut my hair if I couldn’t make my regular appointment after my surgery. 

In a world seemingly filled with animosity, greed, and general ugliness, I’m especially grateful for the attitude, expression, look, and touch of kindness in my life. 

Affirmation: There is much kindness in the world.

Coaching questions: How to you give and receive kindness to/from others? What does it mean to you? 

Friends Matter More Than You May Know

by Mershon Niesner

Each member knows that her friends count on her as much as she counts on her friends. Klazuko Manna, Moai group member, excerpted from Blue Zones newsletter

The Blue Zone project on longevity has proven that elders in Okinawa, Japan live extraordinarily better and longer lives than almost anyone else in the world. Moai, one of their longevity traditions, are social support groups they start in childhood and continue throughout their life. Sometimes these groups last for nearly 100 years!

As a motherless daughter and only child, girlfriends have always been especially important to me. This continues to be true as I age. I recently spent time with a group of friends I only see about twice a year. As we gather, it feels as if we were never apart. Our love and caring for each other continues across time and distance. 

Affirmation: I have friends who care about me.

Coaching questions: Do you have friends you can count on? If not, consider why that might be true. If friends are important to you, what are you willing to do to keep your friendship alive and well?

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These two women (ages 90 and 91 in this photo) have shared the gift of friendship for over eighty years.

Looking For Peace

by Mershon Niesner

What we focus on expands. The more were complain, the worse things get. It’s a universal law. OprahWinfrey

Remember the last time you considered buying a red sedan and everywhere you looked there were red sedans? The same is true of negative thinking, negative social media, negative cable news…more, more, more and the worse things seem to us.

Even in our personal lives, the more we focus on the negative and complain, the worse things seem to get. My step mother, Sylvia, used to say, “This too shall pass.” And sure enough it did/does. Yesterday some friends and I were remembering Hurricane Irma and how it brought out the best in so many people…the compassion, the caring. It renewed in us the sense that the world is mostly filled with good, caring people who want to take care of their friends, neighbors, and even total strangers. Focusing on the positive brought each one of us a sense of peace and hope for the world.

Affirmation: I choose the positive.

Coaching questions: What outside sources are feeding you? What have you done lately that shows your compassion to another? On what are you focusing?