Kindness Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Stephanie DelTorchio

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Don't quit on people who need you / befat.net / inspirational quote / #befat

Don’t quit on people who matter.

They may need to be loved only in our hearts. A safe distance away. To keep them from messing with our heads and getting on our nerves or under our skin.

We know they are hurting and we know we should be the bigger person.

Close our mouths when we have SO much to say. Unfurl our fists when it seems the way out of frustration is to punch the living shit out of something.

But you are the kinder and saner soul in this relationship. That’s why they irk you and they don’t know it (or maybe they do?). That’s why you pray for them. Send them light and rainbows. And draw the hard lines in order to protect yourself.

You’re not a bad person for keeping them away. It’s how you survive and maintain your sanity and live out the day in front of you.

But you can’t give up completely on the people who matter. Even after they’ve taken you down so many times. You find a way to get back up and tangle with them again and again. Because when all the anger, bitterness and contempt is peeled away, you care. Because that hurting person is part of your story.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic and quote: Stephanie DelTorchio

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Spread Kindness

Be Inspired to leave a message

I recently stumbled upon The Kindness Rocks Project and fell madly in love with their mission. Be sure to check out their website.

Here is the information direct from their site:

“The Kindness Rocks Project was created to spread inspiration and motivation for unsuspecting recipients through random rocks dropped along the way…

Goal #1: Inspire others through randomly placed rocks along the way…

Goal #2: Recruit every person who stumbles upon it to join in the pursuit of inspiring others through random acts of kindness””

The beach is my go-to happy place to walk, to think, to vent to the ocean and commune with the birds. A random bleached-out clam shell became the inspiration for my first message. I think this will be a fun summer project with my family — create lovely messages on rocks and shells, then leave them behind.

Can I say it again? I LOVE this idea of spreading goodness.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!
Original hardly-can-be-called “art”: Stephanie DelTorchio
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Second Chances

Second Chances | befat.net

Maybe you missed it all together.

Or you weren’t in the mood. Not “feeling” it.

Perhaps the timing felt “off”.

Whatever the reason or excuse for not jumping at the chance the first time, sometimes there’s an opportunity for a do-over.

Take the Mulligan.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic and quote: Stephanie DelTorchio

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You Make A Difference

Jane Goodall quote | befat.net

I have NO IDEA what “Interpretive dance of the crustaceans”** is all about but I say if it rocks your boat, keep rocking.

Everywhere we roam there is an opportunity to affect the world around us. When we don’t like what we see and hear, it’s a signal to do something about it, not add fuel to the fire. We have the privilege of free will — the right to say: this is good, fair, correct, positive, or this is not.

It would seem that one person cannot change the direction of the world, but I’m going out on a limb here, and beg to differ.

Mother Teresa changed the world around her with love, kindness, compassion and undying faith.

Steve Jobs changed the world around him with technological advances that benefited the masses.

Martin Luther King changed the world around him with one speech demanding racial justice and an integrated society.

We needn’t be big powerful figures to impact the world and make a difference each day.

We change the world when we offer a stranger a quiet small gesture of kindness. An empathetic touch. A cup of coffee.

We change the world when we scoot down to the level of a child or an aging adult and give them our undivided attention and exercise patience.

We change the world when something fires up in our belly and we care enough to choose to make a ruckus — in our home, at our job, in our community and by proxy, the world.

We change the world by supporting each others’ dreams, hopes and aspirations even when we don’t share the same interests. I have no freakin’ clue what “Interpretive dance of the crustaceans”** is all about but I say go for it.

We change the world by inspiring others with the consistency of our deeds and not our words.

We change the world by starting a movement fueled by a great vision for the way we want the world to be.

We change the world when we teach and share our gifts, unconditionally.

Whether we use our power of choice to change the world for good or not is entirely up to us as individuals. No matter which road we take, the high or the low, our choices will make a difference in the kind of world we get to live in.

By the way, the world, that’s all of us, are waiting to hear from you.

I remember the last day of sixth grade when my teacher, Mr. Larivee, shared a piece of his wisdom before we headed off to junior high school.

He said: “Class…turn to the left and shake your neighbor’s hand.” Then he waited a minute for the giggling to subside and said, “Now turn to right. Smile this time; shake your other neighbor’s hand and say something nice. You’ve just changed the world.”

**I swear this is a REAL THING. I watched a dance performance where a woman interpreted the movements of a crab then a lobster. Frankly, I prefer my crustaceans NOT MOVING and served with melted butter. But that’s just me.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic and quote: Stephanie DelTorchio

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Chocolate and Hugs Heal Everything

Hugs and Chocolate Cake | befat.net

A bit of chocolate goes a long way. A nice hug lasts longer…

Life happens, right? We live in a world that hands us our share of bumps and bruises. How we handle what happens to us is THE only choice we get.

See the situation for what it is.

There are big shit problems and little shit problems.

For the little ones, ask yourself if you’re making mountains out of molehills. Is there something you can do to change the situation? To make it better or eliminate it?

Plenty of things set people off. Instead of over-reacting count to ten like mother taught you. Get real. Fix it. Make it right. From a parking ticket to a spat with a friend, clear it up, if possible.

Big shit problems won’t go away overnight, of course. When you’re facing the fire it’s hard to imagine you’ll walk through it unscathed. You might. You might not. But you will come out the other side, eventually.

Tackle the problem bit by bit

“When eating an elephant take one bite at a time.” – Creighton Abrams

Same for whatever size dung’s been plopped on your doorstep. Trying to consume it all at once isn’t brave. It’s dumb. You will choke — and die, according to my mother who always added “and die” to everything.

Reflect on previous wins

Think back to the times you faced adversities and survived. You’ve done well handling yourself and your problems all of your life. You did it then. You can do it again.

Putting on a brave front when your world is closing in is a common tactic. It’s the alternative to running down the street naked and screaming at everybody. The people closest to you know the mask you’re wearing isn’t your normal one. And you’re lucky to have those people around. Luckier still when they don’t judge but instead reach out and hug you. And double points if the hug is followed up with chocolate cake.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic and quote: Stephanie DelTorchio

8 Things To Do When Your Day Sucks

Things to do when you have a sucky day befat.net

There are those sucky days. And when you get one, it’s best to cut your loses and give in. Until tomorrow…when you’ll go back to being awesome.

P.S. You’re still awesome — just misplaced, like between the seat cushions.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic and quote: Stephanie DelTorchio

Get Rooted in You

Grow You | positive quote |befat.net

Rich soil, clean water, bright sunshine grows a happy plant.

Self-respect, kindness, forgiveness grows a happy you.

You don’t forget to feed your plants. Don’t forget to feed yourself.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic: Stephanie DelTorchio
Image: iClipArt

You. Priceless.

You are priceless.

There isn’t a soul on this planet who holds your equal. In every conceivable way you are unique. Often imitated but never duplicated. Maybe that’s a good thing??

What would you pay for a one-of-a-kind specimen like you? More than the sum of all the gold and jewels and oil on this Earth?

And yet how many times do we discount our value?

We look in the mirror each day and fail to comprehend our worth. Instead we count the wrinkles and gray hairs and round belly. Is it so hard to believe that for whatever reason, you were created to be exactly the person staring back at you?

Let’s get real for a minute.

We’re temporary flesh and bone residents just trying to get from Monday to Friday.

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However, in the short time you’re blessed to breathe here, is it so hard to embrace the gift of individuality? With all its quirks and flaws, physical attributes and mental fluctuations?

It’s a noble goal to appreciate your gifts and talents as well as your temper and lack of rhythm that make you, YOU. Own it. Respect it. Have fun with it. Treat it better than the car you wash and wax until you can count your nose hairs in its glossy surface. (This may be a guy thing??)

You know what I mean. In America we tend to put value on “stuff”. Show of hands: If you had to exchange all those dusty or shiny possessions (i.e. the crap you’ve accumulated) to spend one more day with the people you love, doing the things that bring you joy, well, what’s it worth? You get the drift. Substance over stuff.

Chances are you have some big fans surrounding you — family, friends, colleagues — who think you’re pretty terrific in spite of annoying quirks and flaws. Any one of them would give anything and everything to keep you around longer. And I bet you’d do the same for them.

Please don’t undervalue your worth. You are priceless.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic: Stephanie DelTorchio (using Quotescover) Try it out. quotescover.com

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Without Shoes? No Problem

#withoutshoes befat.net

This is the time of year (in New England) where any quasi-warm day is a reason to kick off your shoes. Finally after the cold and snow, the toes breathe a sigh of Spring.

Of course around here the early spring of May is no guarantee of flip flop weather. No problem for the diehards who walk around barefoot and in shorts beginning May 1st, no matter if there are traces of frost on the grass or not.

Each year, the folks at TOMS shoe company spend one day #withoutshoes to raise awareness for children’s
health and education. Their dream is that some day, all kids will have shoes.

Today, May 10th, TOMS is asking everyone to Instagram your feet #withoutshoes or your TOMS and help give 100,000 new pairs of shoes to children in 10 countries.

No shoes? No problem.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!

Original graphic: Stephanie DelTorchio

Think Well of Yourself

befat.net Positive Quote Image

Forget about what other people say about us. Often we’re our own worse enemy.

Pay attention to every time you utter a negative comment about yourself. It’s a passing thing usually in quick response to some every day act or behavior — dropping a cup, taking a wrong turn, tripping over the rug, fumbling a conversation. We say things like: “You’re so stupid”, “Idiot”, “Why did you do that?, “And THIS is why you’re still alone!”

For today, be aware of this negative self-talk. Try to catch yourself beforehand but if you can’t, immediately replace the negative with a positive. Say something nice and loving about yourself.

BE F-G AWESOME TODAY!
Original graphic: Stephanie DelTorchio

Category - Kindness