Ignite Acts of Kindness

I would like to share a story during this season of #Giving with a simple message:?

As you see people face hardship, please:

Do not look the other way.

Do not judge.

Do not assume that they must have done something wrong to be in this situation.

Instead,

Let compassion be your guide and extend an act of kindness, however small, to make a difference in our community.

In the spirit of #Giving, join this Adler Project: Ignite Acts of Kindness; and share your Act of Kindness in the comments.

Yesterday evening, a senior woman struggled to push a shopping cart onto the median pedestrian island at a busy intersection. She pulled, she pushed. Despite her hardest efforts, the shopping cart filled with all her belongings stubbornly remained in the middle of the road. Drivers watched while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. No one took action.?

Yes, sometimes it's hard to know how to best respond. After all, a person’s state of mind determines if they welcome support or not.?

Thus, I slowed my car to ask if she would like a helping hand. She did.

And so, I parked my car and pushed her cart safely across the street.?

During this brief encounter, I learned that:

1. this nearly-70-year-old woman spent the previous winter night sleeping outside on the ground;
2. She is on her way to a public indoor space, 2 miles away, where they turn a blind eye on unhoused humans seeking shelter from the harsh winter conditions.
3. She is an educated, intelligent woman who took care of herself as much as possible given her circumstances yet has fallen on back luck due to a series of unfortunate events.
4. She experiences kindness as well as contempt; and?
5. She craves friendships and a hug.

And as I listened to her story,I had two thoughts:?

1. This woman, like anyone else, deserves a warm and safe shelter.?
2. This could have been me. And here is a hard-fact reality many of us - who were previously gainfully employment - face:

• I was laid off from my job NOT because of performance concerns but because lay-offs are a common cost-cutting business practice. It can happen to all of us, even to the hardest-working, most-dedicated with strong skill sets and performance reviews.
• It takes about 8 weeks for your initial claim to be processed and to receive unemployment benefits despite their strong efforts for speedy outcomes. If you do not have available financial resources to cover this period of time, you are at high-risk.
• My monthly unemployment benefits are 27% (pre-tax) of my previous monthly income.?
• Nearly one week of my unemployment benefits goes towards the cost of monthly medical insurance obtained through Vermont Health Connect.
• 99% of job applications do not lead to an interview.
• Recruiters will ghost you even after interviews in which they verbally identified you as a top candidate and promised to follow up with you within a given time frame.?

Now factor in the cost of your rent or mortgage, childcare, medical expenses, car insurance or payments, and grocery bills…this is how folks like us can lose their homes and be in situations like this lady when they are not as fortunate as I am thanks to my loving and supportive network of family, friends and professional community and favorable pre-existing conditions that allowed me to navigate this job seeking period without existential fears and accept an offer that promises to be a great match of skills and values. And,

• because we all deserve a warm place to sleep;?
• because a great number of folks have extended kindness and support towards me throughout this time, and in fact, throughout my entire life; and
• because I am still able to afford extraordinary things at this time, I decided to make a direct donation to this woman by paying for

2 nights at a local hotel?

with the hope that her expected payment arrives in time for her to remain there throughout the month.?

For some time, I have envisioned an Adler** Project, in which folks of all ages participate by:

• Practicing Acts of Kindness
• Writing your Acts of Kindness on a colored cloth flag and display it at your home, work or school, across neighborhoods and towns to communicate:?

All of us - no matter what size - can make a difference through Acts of Kindness. ?

In the spirit of #Giving, join this Adler Project: Ignite Acts of Kindness; and

take a moment to share in the comments:?

• Your story about an Act of Kindness;?
• What Act of Kindness you and/or your family commits to this month;
• How you teach your children about contributing to a strong & healthy community;
• A photo of your colored flag featuring your commitment to an Act of Kindness.

With this post, my sole intention is to highlight the importance of Social Interest/Acts of Kindness to strengthen our Communities.?

There are many of you who practice Acts of Kindness with great humility.

By sharing your stories, I hope that we can - together - ignite a momentum that spreads among us.

Imagine how colorful our world would be!

*Kudos to the hard-working teams at the VT Department of Labor who have to process high volumes of inquiries.?

** The idea of the Alderian Project is based on the teachings of Alfred Adler, a humanistic psychologist who focused on Social Interest to improve mental health by strengthening social connectedness.

Sources:

https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/Alderian-Psychotherapy-Intro-Sample.pdf

https://www.alfredadler.edu/about/alfred-adler-theory-application/