This I Believe

This was an assignment for my Community Speaking class that I completed in Undergrad; what a way to examine what it is that you believe in.  We all believe in many things and there are times that we should examine those beliefs in more depth to see if we have changed, grown, regressed, or simply remained stagnant within our lives.  thisibelieve.org provides nearly unlimited statements from individuals who have provided a verbal rendition of their "This I Believe" statement.  

HISTORY: (as taken from the site noted above)

  "This I Believe is based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. Each day, Americans gathered by their radios to hear compelling essays from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Robinson, Helen Keller, and Harry Truman as well as corporate leaders, cab drivers, scientists, and secretaries"anyone able to distill into a few minutes the guiding principles by which they lived. These essayists’ words brought comfort and inspiration to a country worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism, and racial division."

Regardless of your personal opinion, political stance, religious beliefs, etc. we all have the right to believe in something....this site gives individuals the ability to share their beliefs, regardless of agreements from other individuals within society.  We all believe in something, even if that something is nothing.  Below is my This I Believe statement:

I believe that a simple act of kindness to anyone, including yourself; is a tremendous act of love and faith.  I believe that to have an act of kindness give to you and than for your to share it with another is a great act of love and faith.  Doing this gives your soul and your self-worth a boost, making your heart better than it was the second previously.

I began to believe in simple random acts of kindness when I first viewed the movie Pay It Forward". I believe that the ending was atrocious, but the message of the movie is that if you want the world to change you must be the change you want to see in the world, regardless of the consequences. 

Each evening we are bombarded with tremendous heart wrenching stories of human suffering, pain, sadness, and over whelming cruelty that one person forces upon another.  We see it on Facebook and the Internet as well.  There is no where that we can turn that we do not see this cruelty, it is in our movies, on our news, on our computers, and talked about in friendly conversations sitting at the local restaurant.  This cruelty makes my heart angry and I do not like to feel angry. 

I was blessed with seeing the movie "Pay It Forward"  and made the decision to stop watching the news. I no longer allow myself to be bombarded with negativity and have found that this simple act allows me to have a more positive attitude about how people treat each other.

I may be fooling myself, but This I Believe makes me a happier person.

I want to see a positive world, so I practice a positive practice.  Random Acts of Kindness!! I smile at people, I wave at people, I say Hello, I leave my change for the person in line behind me, I stop and offer assistance to someone broke down with their car; knowing that the most I can do is offer to let them call someone as I am not a mechanic.  I do whatever happens to come to mind at that second.  I don't think about it; I just do it.

This though, I believe, is a sign from God that a kindness is needed, either by me or by the person I am being kind to,.  Either way, we both feel just a touch better for the kindness done. 

Random Acts Of Kindness, Paying It Forward, Spreading the SonShine; call it what you will, I believe by sharing Love with Kindness we share our faith without pushing our beliefs.  This I believe.

Reviews

[Ivy Kidd]

Very well said indeed. If we all chose to behave this way what a wonderful world it would truly be however each of us, as you have, can choose to make our own little piece of it this way.

[Constance Payne]

Thank You so my my dear friend.

[Rita L. Sev]

This is a wonderful code by which to live! I try to keep to a similar motto, actually the Hippocratic Oath, that says "First, do no harm". I think this should apply to everyone, in all situations, and doing kind things is a way to ensure you are not harming. Interesting that I am reading this today, for two reasons: My husband, also a teacher and working toward his Masters Degree, had to write an essay about his personal code of ethics related to teaching. "Be kind" and "Do no harm" were themes that recurred throughout his paper. The other reason is that yesterday's Quote of the Day in my classroom was "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." (Albert Einstein) This started a discussion about, as you say, being the change regardless of the consequences. We discussed Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and others. I am sure I was meant to read your wonderful essay today, to keep the message moving. Thanks for sharing!

[Constance Payne]

Thank you for your kind words. I have "wasted" hours listening to the website and it is funny what people think and thought. As a Master's student in Counseling (considering changing majors) the Hippocratic Oath is and should be a part of my life each and every day.

[Samuel Dickens]

I couldn't agree with you more. I grew up very poor, and helping others was an intrinsic part of that. To quote the Beatles, "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

[Constance Payne]

Love the Beatles connection.
We were considered rich by others but by conversations with my mother later in life I learned that was only a thought. They kept it hidden from us girls to provide us with opportunities that we might not otherwise seek.

[Claire Twinn]

I guess it could be called Karma too, and it is at the heart of what raises humans from animals. I'm sure you'll spread plenty of sunshine!

[Constance Payne]

Thank You.