When Anita Edgar, a grandmother from Devon, England, vacationed in India one winter, she was horrified at the hundreds of children living in abject poverty and forced to beg in the streets for a miserable living. When Edgar returned to England, she packed her belongings and went back to India, determined to help these street children however she could.
That was thirteen years ago and she's never looked back. The charity she founded now operates four orphanages, three night shelters, and three independent-living cottages for older children in and around Goa, India. It also operates a children's hospital and "Manna on Wheels," a free food-distribution program. Altogether, the charity's residential programs care for more than two thousand of India's street children.
We are pleased and honored to host Ms. Edgar at Mindful Hands (211 King St, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia) on Thursday, June 18, from 12:30 - 1:30pm. Bring a brown-bag lunch and come hear Ms. Edgar's riveting talk on the activities of her charity and the lives of the street children, both before and after their rescue from the slums of India. Like the film, Slumdog Millionaire, her tale is both profoundly heartbreaking and sublimely uplifiting. Please join us.
To learn more about the El-Shaddai Charitable Trust, visit www.childrescue.net.
One of my favorite quotes is from Elwood P. Dowd, of Harvey fame:"To get along in this world, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant."
Of course, Elwood was also an alcoholic and I certainly can't recommend taking to drink to get along in this world. However, it seems to me that we can all benefit by taking a page from the book of Elwood. You only have to turn the TV to any "reality" show to see that we are now living in a world that encourages conflict, competitiveness, and the demeaning and humiliation of others. Yet, the participants on these shows don't seem to be happy. In fact, they seem to be living largely unhappy, complicated, and conflict-ridden lives.I have to agree with Mr. Dowd, there's a lot to be said for being pleasant. Elwood largely avoided conflict by trying to be as agreeable as possible to those around him. He helped when he could, shared what he had, and tried to get along with everyone. He found everyone interesting and listened to their stories with fascination and appreciation. People liked being around him because he cared. Sounds to me like a recipe for a happy life.6-foot rabbit optional.
Everything seems to slow down for me in January. January and February are two of the slowest months for my shop, Mindful Hands. The holidays are over, days are shorter and nights longer, no vacations planned. I always find January to be a good time to take stock of all the "stuff" Chris and I have accumulated over the years - from old clothes no longer worn, books no longer read, videos no longer viewed, and assorted knick-knacks we no longer have the use or room for.
All of it goes into one big pile in the basement. When we're satisfied we've combed through all our belongings as thoroughly as we can, we box and bag it all and leave it by the curb in front of our house to be picked up by The Lupus Foundation. It's a "win-win" - we get rid of our stuff and they get the funds from the sale to thrift stores.
If you're interested in un-cluttering your life and giving away your stuff, try these resources:
http://www.freecycle.org/
http://www.lupuspickup.org/
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."
(Aesop, The Lion and the Mouse)
We've all certainly experienced an act of kindness - a memorable event when someone, perhaps even a complete stranger, came to our aid when we least expected it: a flat tire changed, a casserole baked, a helping hand with a heavy load. When we are at the receiving end of an act of kindness, no matter how small, we experience lowered stress levels and a lift in our spirits.
Apparently, so does the giver of the good deed. In recent years, there has been a host of research studies that indicate that doing good can indeed be good for you. "Helper's high," the rush of adrenaline that altruistic people can sometimes feel after doing a good deed for someone else, has been linked to lowered stress levels, improved immunity from illness, and longer life, in addition to a general sense of calm and positive well-being. And these feelings lead to the desire to do more good deeds, thus lifting your own spirits as well as those of whom you help.
According to Stephen G. Post, PhD, a professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a prominent researcher in the study of the biological effects of altruism, "All the great spiritual traditions and the field of positive psychology are emphatic on this point -- that the best way to get rid of bitterness, anger, rage, jealousy is to do unto others in a positive way" (WebMD).
And so, as counter-intuitive as it may seem, if you're feeling anxious, stressed, or depressed (and who isn't in today's economy?), the best way to help yourself is by helping others.
Source:
The Science of Good Deeds, WebMD, www.webmd.com
For more information:
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, www.actsofkindness.orgSmileCard Project, www.helpothers.org
