My mother-in-law, Lorraine Webber, passed away on August 31st. She was a kind soul with a good word for everyone she ran into and was always willing to listen. She could strike up a friendship with a total stranger instantly. She went on several river cruises in Europe with her husband. He told me that by the end of the first day of the cruise, she knew everyone on the boat. Whenever they walked into the dining room, people at numerous tables would wave them over to sit with them.

An article in the New York Times by David Brooks points out that many of us have a strong reluctance to talk to strangers; especially in places like airplanes, commuter trains, airports or when we’re standing in line. Some of the reasons for this include that we think it will be awkward, dull, trying and not at all enjoyable.

A friend and her husband were having dinner out when they noticed a couple seated at a table not far from them. The two people seemed happy as well as excited and were taking photos of each other. My friend walked over to them and asked if they would like her to take a photo of them so they could both be in the picture

A study published in an online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences provides the first laboratory evidence of something many of us have known all along: acts of kindness are contagious. According to the article, when people experience acts of kindness, they “pay it forward” by being kind to others.

Now there’s a scary thought—our thoughts determine what we become. This means that we need to choose our thoughts very carefully or we run the risk of becoming something we don’t want to be. As we choose our thoughts, it’s important to keep in mind that positive thoughts lead to positive lives while negative thoughts lead to negative lives. As Buddha put it, “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves

We haven’t had any appreciable rain where I live in quite a few months, and it’s been very hot as well. Last night, things finally changed—we got a downpour along with a noticeable drop in the temperature. This morning when I went on my walk, the first thing I noticed is that everyone I met on the sidewalk was smiling—they were so happy for having gotten a cooling rain.

Many of us tend to underestimate the positive impact that a text or email sent to a friend to let them know you’re thinking of them or ask how they are doing can have on them. So, if the impact is going to be low, why bother doing it?

As I mentioned in last week’s Reminder, I fell on my knee and ruptured the quadricep tendon in my right leg. As a result, I spent two weeks in a hospital while the tendon was reattached. This resulted in my wife Marcia and I being on the receiving end of lots and lots of kindness.

A few weeks ago, I fell on my knee and ruptured the quadriceps tendon in my right leg. As a result, I spent two weeks in a hospital while the tendon was reattached. From the time I got there until the time I was discharged I was shown nothing but the utmost kindness from the hospital’s many healthcare professionals who took care of me—it was unbelievable!

My daughter Katie sent me an issue of the internet publication called the Purpose Fairy. This issue contained a list of things we should give up if we want our lives to be easier and happier. One in particular caught my attention and that was the need to impress others.