INSPIRATION LINE'S MEANINGFUL LIFE ANSWERS & ENCOURAGEMENT BLOG BOARD

[inspiration]

"Begin Little By Little"
From Kindness: Making a Difference in People's Lives: Formulas, stories, and insights
By Zelig Pliskin Printed with Permission of Shaar Press

Some people feel overwhelmed by the concept of consistently doing acts of kindness. "It seems so difficult to keep thinking about others. I have a lot to do for myself and I can’t always think of others." The solution is to begin little by little.

You might not have the time and resources to do all that you would really like to do. Be kind with the time and resources you do have. Every small kind act leads to other and greater kind acts.

Every act of kindness makes you a kinder person. Maimonedes tells us how to develop a generous personality. Do many small acts of generosity. Instead of giving a single hundred dollar bill to only one person, change the hundred dollar bill into one hundred singles. Then give them away one by one. These one hundred kind acts are building your character trait of generosity. Just as a building goes up brick by brick, so too you are building yourself act by act.

Each of us find certain things easier to do than others. What small act of kindness is easiest for you? Keep doing these acts as regularly as possible. "One good deed leads to another," say the Sages

The founder of a major charitable organization with numerous branches began with a few items from his home. He had several vaporizers that he lent out to his neighbors. This grew and grew until the lending of medical equipment free of charge evolved into a national institution of note.

Even if a small act of kindness doesn’t lead to major acts of kindness, a small kind act in itself has immense eternal value. Being overwhelmed by thinking too big may prevent you from beginning your journey. Think in terms of one step at a time and you can never tell how far you will eventually go.

I met someone who told me that his life mission is to get people who never do things for others to begin to do so.

"This seems like a difficult task. Why did you choose this as your mission?" I asked him.

"I wish to have as broad an influence as possible. My experience is that once I get a person started on doing acts of kindness, the experience leads to many more kind acts. Getting someone started can be difficult. But once I motivate him to begin, he will eventually be motivated on his own to do much good."

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