NICE Testimonial: A Lasting Impression

The other day I received an email from Lauren of (Mis) Adventures in Theatre with a story about a man she met in Vegas who left an impression on her that she won't soon forget!

So this is completely random. While I was driving home today I somehow got to thinking about a fellow I met once in Vegas. I will preface this by saying that of all the bums I've ever met, Vegas has some of the nicest, and this guy in particular, was exceptional.

I was going to a hotel a little off the Strip to go pick up a friend of mine who had just flown into town. I have also, recently bought a new car (against my will, but that's a different story) and thus, it is very clean (cars actually don't get dirty in Vegas. So weird). I parked in front of the hotel, got out of my car, and this fellow approaches me. I've been approached by bums (I really wish there was a better word, it sounds so awful when I say it :( ) plenty of times before this, so I'm not really shocked. This guy though, is different. For someone who is clearly down on his luck, he is very put together. His ragged clothes were clean, he stood up proud, and had a little belt of window washing tools around his waist and a pocket full of clean rags.

He comes up to me and says, "Hello Miss. Would you mind if I washed your windows for some change?" I looked at my car, with it's pretty clean windows, and looked at the man. He happened to catch me on a rare occasion when I actually had cash, and I usually give to folks who ask politely, cause hey, who am I to judge? I dug in my purse and pulled out my last $5 bill, handed it to him, smiled and said, "My car is pretty new and not really dirty, but you are welcome to this anyway."

He looked at for a minute, stood up a little straighter, and before he took it he said, "I really appreciate that Miss, but if it's all the same to you, I'd like to work for my money." I was shocked. In the best possible way. I said, "Of course! I admire that Sir, go right ahead. Thank you so much!" He then took my money, nodded and said, "Thank you, Miss," and proceeded to wash my windows.

My friend had met me in the parking lot while all this was going on, and we had to wait for him to finish, but he did a great job. I told him thank you again before he left, and he smiled at me and walked away. This man - who is washing strangers windows for whatever change they will give him - this man is one of the most polite, appreciative, kind folks I've ever met. He has more grace and manners than people a thousand times better off than he, and doesn't seem to moan and whine over his situation. Clearly, he influenced me, because this instance has stuck with me. We should all be so appreciative and polite. I hope that wherever he is, he is well and happy. :)

What a wonderful story! It definitely makes me feel like a brat for all the times I complained about Starbucks being out of my morning pastry or the extra traffic I hit on certain mornings. Puts things in perspective. That man must live by this motto, as we all should.

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Picture: Betsy and Lou

I received this illustration from Betsy the Cow creator, Anne. She told me that Lou, the adorable yellow birdie, likes to do some motivational speaking, and he was inspired by this blog! :) Could that be any cuter???


I am flattered, Lou! (And Anne!) Thank you so much!

NICE Assignment: Promote Blog Action Day

Blog Action Day is quickly approaching. On October 15, 2009, thousands of bloggers will unite to blog about a particular issue that is affecting our world on a grand scale. This year the topic is climate change.

Did you participate last year? I did. It was very powerful, being involved in something so unifying. Reading people's interpretations of the issue was enlightening to say the least.

Today's Assignment: Promote Blog Action Day

What can you do? Well, if you are a blogger, sign up to participate. Add a badge to your blog. And even if you don't have a blog of your own, there are ways to take action.

Feel free to stop back here on October 15th to participate in our discussion!

NICE Stuff: KIND Snacks

It's no secret that I'm a Starbucks junkie. So when I saw a display of granola bars at the register with the word "KIND" on the packaging, it caught my attention. I had to learn more.

I went to their website and discovered that KIND Snacks are not only about being good to yourself by eating nutritious treats, but the company also encourages being KIND to the world. They are committed to their "mission to foster global coexistence and kindness."

One project they have that demonstrates this is KINDED, "a movement inspiring kind acts, seeded by the KIND team (www.kindsnacks.com). Get a KINDED card, pass it on with a kind act, then track how far your chain of KINDINGS travels!"

KINDED is a way to monitor kind acts. How neat is that?

From the site:
Research shows that kindness makes people happy and happy people are healthier! However, despite being so powerful, kind acts do not happen nearly often enough. That’s why we developed KINDED--to make doing unexpected acts of kindness more frequent and easier to do.

Click here to get your own KINDED card and start passing it on today!

NICE News: Light a Candle for Peace

I received a tweet from Donna in Ohio letting me know that her kids learned a song about peace (in sign language too!) and were singing it in at school in honor of Peace Day. This project took place throughout 31 countries, and the singing began in New Zealand and ended in Hawaii. The song was, "passed around the world from Montessori schools in different time zones to fill an entire day with children’s beautiful voices singing about peace."

And then last night I received an email from someone in Georgia, letting me know that they sang at 11:00 a.m. despite only having a handful of students due to severe flooding in their area. That person didn't send her name, but hopefully you and your loved ones are doing okay! Her email led me to this website where they have videos posted.

It's so sweet, I can barely take it! Here are a few of my favorites.

South Korea

Seoul English Academy: International Peace Day from Seoul English Academy on Vimeo.

North Carolina


Mexico

NICE Assignment: Celebrate Peace

Happy International Day of Peace everybody! Thank goodness for Twitter or I might have completely missed it!

According to the website:
"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace."

While the idea behind this day is grand, to say the least, I thought that this point made it very relatable. It's not just about peace between nations, but it's also about peace between individuals.

International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time. Imagine what a whole Day of Ceasefire would mean to humankind.

Today's Assignment: Celebrate Peace

Quite simply, let us promote the idea of peace and inspire others to think about its magnitude. The Day of Peace website has some great ideas for getting involved. A few of them are very simple for us internet-folk, so I encourage you to participate!

FACEBOOK: Please join thousands of others at our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/peaceday There you can see some of the latest events happening all over the world. You can also post your own stories and links to websites, YouTubes, etc.

FACEBOOK IDEA: Consider posting the following words (or some variation) on your Facebook page on, or before, the International Day of Peace - and asking others in your network to also do this: “We hope that people, communities and nations everywhere will participate in this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace on September 21st. If you agree, please post this as your status today.”

TWITTER: To let more of the world know your thoughts or plans for Peace Day and to share links and YouTubes on Twitter, please tweet about your plans for Peace Day and add #peaceday in your updates. If enough of us do this on September 21, #peaceday will appear on Twitter as a “trending topic” and will be followed by thousands. Together, we have an opportunity to inform millions of people!

Or you could always make a donation or even shop the Day of Peace storefront to show your support.

Happy Day of Peace!

NICE Testimonial: Small gesture, big smile

Happy Friday! I am so incredibly excited for this weekend! It looked like the weather was going to be perfect, so Rob and I booked a night in New York City. Not to sound cliché, but I LOVE NY. We try to go a few times a year, at least for a day trip, but when we have the chance to stay the night, it's even more awesome. Can't wait!

So I have a backlog of testimonials and things to share with you. This one is from a few months ago. When I went to my design conference in Austin, I met one of the nicest people alive. Her name is Cami, and she has the type of personality that can make you giddy in an instant. I felt as if my life improved just by being in her presence. So I was thrilled to receive a testimonial from her!

Turns out Hy-Vee (the local grocery store) had long-stemmed roses on sale for 50¢ each. I bought myself and my mother each a dozen. Then, remembering your flowers from NICE Day, I bought two more dozen. Since I work with a lot of women, I thought I’d give them to my coworkers. So not the stretch out of my comfort zone that I could have done, but wait...

On my way from the depths of the parking garage to the seventh floor where I work, several ladies in the elevator commented on how pretty my roses were. One even leaned over to smell them. I pulled out the yellow rose she was smelling and handed it to her. I said, “Enjoy!” She said, “No, no, that’s ok...” I said, “I insist!” and smiled as we left the elevator. She was very happy and continued to smell her yellow rose through the lobby of the building. She said I made her day.

And all the ladies I work with who got flowers really liked them as well.

A small gesture. A big smile.

Isn't she fantastic?? I'm always so thrilled when I hear that someone's actions were inspired by this blog. That means it's working! To know that a person will be out buying flowers, think back to Operation NICE, and then perform kind gesture is the most flattering thing I could imagine. Thank you, Cami! You not only made the day of those women you gave flowers to, but you also made mine!

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Photo: National PARK(ing) Day

Today is National PARK(ing) Day. Haven't heard of it? Well, it's "an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens independently but simultaneously temporarily transform metered parking spots into 'PARK(ing)' spaces: temporary public parks." Pretty great idea, right?

On my walk across the street from my office to get a cup of coffee (and a piece of tasty coffee cake) this morning, I spotted one of the installations. From the back, all I could see was that it was a bunch of white signs on stands. But as I crossed the street, I saw that the signs depicted illustrations of leaves.



The parking space, located near the corner of 16th St and JFK Blvd. was turned into a Philadelphia Tree Museum for the day.



I'm hoping on my lunchtime walk I'll find a few more of these! Click here to read more about National PARK(ing) Day.

NICE Giveaway #13: And the winner is!

It's giveaway time!!! This is my favorite thing to do! And today is three times as wonderful since Tina was kind enough to offer up three String-Rings for this contest! And just to remind you what's at stake, here is what the winners will receive. A lovely piece of jewelry that encourages the wearer to be mindful of kindness.


129 entries total, way to go guys! And the compliments you submitted were phenomenal. You had me in tears, truly. So, using the handy Random Integer Generator, I picked three random numbers out of 129, and here were the winners!


Comment #3: Jan C. - Last Friday night my husband and I helped to chaperone the local high school's marching band (two of our own daughters are members). It was a hot night to be marching in full uniform, so the parents handed out free bottles of water to the kids after pregame. Lots of those bottles ended up under the bandstand once they were empty, and they needed to be picked up after the game.

My compliment goes out to all of those teenage band members who, instead of bolting for the band room to change and get on with their evening, stopped for a few extra minutes to throw away their own trash and to help pick up after their fellow band members who were not so thoughtful. It was really great to see that lots of the kids felt compelled to be nice and help the adult chaperones out. September 11, 2009 6:44 AM

Comment #73: Viewtiful Justin - My mother is a saint. She's so loving, sacrificail, and patient. And I will tell her so the next time I see her, thanks to this little giveaway exercise.September 12, 2009 7:28 AM

Comment #25: gfxchick - 74. My 10-year-old daughter is amazing. Earlier this week she started her orthodontic treatments and has metal expanders in her mouth. They are uncomfortable and we have to expand the appliance twice a day. It's painful and she hasn't complained at all. I don't think I could be as strong as she is. I have a new level of pride for her. Wow.219. September 11, 2009 9:36 AM

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm so happy for you! Click here to send me an email with your contact info and I'll forward that over to Tina. I have to send a huge thanks out to Tina for offering to do this giveaway. Please check out her website. These make excellent gifts and the holidays are approaching!

And thank you to everyone for entering. Your words are inspiring. I hope you all take a look at the comments if you haven't yet. It is the assignment for the week, after all. :)

NICE Testimonial: The Silver Lining

I received an email from Eric Jacobson last week, and I thought it was inspiring so I wanted to share it here. It's no secret that times are tough in the U.S. right now. I consider myself lucky to have a (hopefully) stable job, but not everyone is so fortunate. Like my father, for instance, who lost his job months ago. It's easy to get sucked into a state of depression when put into a situation like that, but Eric made it a point to not allow that to happen to him. Here's how.

I'm writing to you today about myself, but am hoping that my actions might inspire others who are also unemployed. Because, despite the bad things associated with unemployment, I've discovered there can also be good.

I was part of a downsizing in February after having worked at the same company for nearly 27 years. Since February, in addition to looking for a new career opportunity, I've discovered it's a great time to be giving back to the community and to be helping others.

So, I'm filling my days:

• Delivering Meals On Wheels weekly to the elderly.
• Helping out at an organization called Cancer Action, which celebrates it 50th anniversary this year. Once a week I help organize their storage room where they store all kinds of supplies, nutritional supplements and other donated items that are provided to 4,500 individuals coping with cancer.
• Leading a walking group of seniors on a weeklly walk in different parks in the community.

Volunteering has been very rewarding and I'm determined to keep it up after I land my next job.

In addition, realizing I have a lot to share, based on my 30 years of a rewarding carreer, I've started a blog on "how to be an effective manager" that hopefully will be particularly helpful to professionals who are new to their management role.

And, I'm mentoring a woman in Arizona (long distance via e-mail and phone conversations from Overland Park, KS) who is launching an event planning business, helping her with her business plan and with marketing ideas.

So, volunteering, teaching and mentoring.

He took advantage of the extra time he now had in his schedule to help others less fortunate. I think Eric Jacobson deserves a virtual applause for positive attitude and eagerness to improve the world! Great work!

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE News: Meow Spoken Here

I received a Twitter message from Ohsugarsugar with a link to an article and a note saying, "I thought this article was a great example of someone being super nice! :)" She was right.

Tammy Cross rescues kittens. But not only does she help sick, abused, and abandoned kittens, she rehabilitates them and houses them, sometimes over 20 of them at once, in her own 450 square foot New York City apartment. What an incredibly big heart!

Click here to read the heartwarming New York Times article about Tammy Cross.

NICE Assignment: Read the Comments

Hi there! Did you guys have a great weekend? Mine was lovely, thanks for asking. :) Saturday was the Philadelphia Twestival at Lucky Strike Lanes. I was there with my husband, Rob, and four friends, and I will throw humility out the window and say that I kicked all their butts! Barely. But still.

{image courtesy of Gloria Bell}

Although it was a very wonderful event, I admit that the turnout was disappointing. It was so much fun! The cost of the ticket was basically covered by bowling discounts. And there were a ton of great prizes. So what was stopping people from coming out? Laziness? Social anxiety? Did any of you attend a Twestival in your area? Why or why not? I'm hoping the next one in February can be a huge success!

Anyway, on to the assignment. You guys are blowing me away with your comment entries for the String-Ring giveaway going on right now! The compliments you are leaving for others are bringing tears to my eyes. Whether it's a family member, or a friend, or a chance encounter with a stranger, all of these people are deserving of the kind words you have posted!

Today's Assignment: Read the Comments

At the time I'm posting this, there are 107 comments so far. I'm not suggesting that you go through and read them all! Even I'm having trouble keeping up! But I really encourage you all to click here, scroll down, pick a comment or two and enjoy.

I picked a random one to post here and entice you.

From belle_mlle:
I want to compliment my best friend Molly. She's my inspiration; she just completed the Chicago Triathlon with Team in Training, which raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Molly and I aren't very athletic, so when she told me she was going to not only enter the triathlon, but also complete the International Distance, I was shocked. But she did it!! She raised $2700 for a cause that's dear to her heart, as her mom died of Hodgkin's Lymphoma when she was 6. Not only that, but she defeated her first triathlon with a smile on her face. Now, when I get frustrated by a task that's difficult or tedious or taxing, I think of Molly. If she can do whatever she sets her mind to, then I can do the same. She's the best!!

Beautiful, right??? There are 106 more just like it. I promise, it will brighten your day!

NICE Giveaway: String-Ring™

Almost one year ago I did a giveaway for a String-Ring™. For those of you that might not have been around these parts last October, the String-Ring is a beautiful accessory that is not only stylish, but acts as a reminder to be a kinder person.

From the String-Ring website:
Tying a string around your finger as a reminder is an ancient tradition, thought to keep an idea from escaping — literally tying the idea to yourself.

The StringRing™ is a cue to remind yourself and those who notice it, to be kind to one another. To do a kind act, say, or even think something kind. Each color of string represents a specific kindness reminder.

Well, the incredibly NICE Tina of String-Ring has offered THREE, that's right, THREE String-Rings to use as a giveaway. Lucky you!

To enter, leave a comment on this post with a virtual compliment. Say something nice about someone else. It could be a coworker, or family member, or someone you saw on the street. I'll pick three random winners. The contest ends next Thursday, September 17th, at 8pm ET!

And because I never ask you to do something I wouldn't do, here's my compliment. :)
Even though I've slacked a bit the last few weeks, I've been trying to get back into sketching and drawing. It's hard. I admit it. But one thing I've been doing lately is searching for inspiration. Artists that have styles that make me want to be a better drawer. There are two in particular I've recently stumbled upon that blow my mind. Paul Heaston and Pete Scully. I could look at their drawings for hours upon hours.

Okay, now it's your turn! And please visit String-Ring to learn more about it!

NICE Assignment: 10 Thank You Cards

Sorry this assignment is a little late this week. The next few weeks are going to be a little busy for me, so my posting might not be as regular. But here we go!

This assignment actually came as a recommendation from Emma, who forwarded me a link to a really sweet blog post. It comes from the blog Letters and Journals, and Jackie, the blogger, asks herself who she would send 10 Thank You cards to, if she were to send out any. Her list is composed of friends, family, a politician, an animal shelter, etc. I thought this was a great exercise in gratitude.

Today's Assignment: 10 Thank You Cards

Jackie asks, "Who could you think to send a thank you card today? If not a thank you card, then how about sending a thinking of you card? Can you think of 10 people?"

Well, let's find out.

1. my mother
2. my grandfather
3. a coworker who keeps me sane
4. a friend who is always positive and uplifting
5. an internet pal who is having a rough time
6. a blogger whose posts brighten my day
7. the Twestival organizers
8. a friendly security officer I met last week
9. an internet friend that sent me a birthday card, out of the blue!
10. an artist whose drawings inspire me daily

I'd love to hear who would be on your list! You can leave it in the comments here or post it on your blog, but I'd love it if you'd participate!

NICE Campaign: Twestival #2

You might recall last January I blogged about The Twestival, which is a festival of Twitter users who come together to raise money for charity. It was incredibly fun, particularly because I kicked butt and took names in the Rock Band tournament, but also because I got to meet a big group of like-minded NICE folks and raise money for a great cause at the same time.

Well folks, the Twestival is back, and this time it's local! That means each city has selected a local charity to raise money for. It's more personal.


For those of you in the Philadelphia area, our Twestival is on September 12, from 1-3pm at Lucky Strike Lanes. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. And guess what. It's buy one get one free bowling and free shoe rental! That pretty much covers the ticket price! In addition to bowling, which is pretty much one of my favorite past-times, there will be plenty of raffles.

And even better? All the proceeds go to Gift of Life Family House which provides temporary housing for transplant patients and their families. The goal is to raise enough money to give ten families each a week long stay. How amazing is that??

Personally, bowling is something that'd I'd do on any random Saturday afternoon. So knowing I can bowl AND help a family in need is pretty much the best thing ever.

Please check out what's happening at the Twestival nearest you and consider attending. Good times, good people, good cause.

NICE Photo: B YASELF

I saw this on my lunch break a few weeks ago and I had to snap a photo! How cute is that?? Thanks person with the Saturn Vue! I think I will! :)



Do you have a NICE photo that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!

NICE Testimonial: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for casting your votes and posting your comments to help me, Mike, and others promote kindness at SXSW. It means the world to me! :)

Today's testimonial comes from Alison C. in New Hampshire who has niceness right next door.

I am relatively new to my home and had a dreadful time with the neighbor across the street, it was so disheartening. In contrast my immediate next door neighbors were very sweet and welcoming. But their niceness tipped the scale a couple of weeks back. In my typical rush, daze and chaos of early morning, I mistakenly put out the recyclables (mostly paper) on the wrong week (recyclables are only picked up every other week.) and headed off to work.

When I came home during a driving rain storm I notice that the neighbors had put all the recyclables into the now empty trash containers and replaced the lids to keep it all dry because they didn't want me to have a heavy, soggy bunch of stuff I had to lug to the back patio. How nice is that. So I went to my balcony garden, created little individual bags of herbs labelled them and the few ripe cherry tomatoes we had and put it in a cute little basket with a colorful cloth napkin and a note thanking them for being such great neighbors. Now last Sunday - we get a knock on the door and there is the lovely lady with the same basket now filled with adorable cocktail napkins, a box of crackers and a tub of homemade dip using some of the herbs I gave her plus a recipe card....so glad to have neighbors worth bragging about....what generous and gracious people.

Good neighbors make all the difference. My husband and I also have the most delightful neighbors who bring our trash cans up to the garage for us, make us extra cupcakes when they are baking for their kids' school, and collect our mail when we're away. I've lived in neighborhoods where I barely said two words to the people next door, so I know how great it is just to have someone to smile, wave, and say "good morning" to every day.

Do you have a NICE:Testimonial that you'd like to share? If so, click here to send me an email!