"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

"In order to be remembered, leave nothing behind but goodness."
- Yogi® Tea

"The best practical advice I can give to the present generation is to practice the virtue which the Christians call love."
- Bertrand Russell

"A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses."
- Chinese Proverb

"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
- James Matthew Barrie

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love."
- Saint Basil

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these."
- George Washington Carver

"Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom."
- Theodore Isaac Rubin, MD

#MainMessageForToday
Do you agree that kindness is the greatest wisdom?
"Kindness is the greatest wisdom." - Author Unknown

"Was I really seeking good
Or just seeking attention?...
No good deed goes unpunished"
- From the song 'No Good Deed':
https://youtu.be/6a5kqdYnT9g

"There is a rollicking kindness that looks like malice."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

"Kindness is nothing but hypocracy in disguise. It is a human deception. Man enjoys the suffering of others - it gives him something to be thankful for, something to feel good about, something to feel superior."
- Myuni Hausen II

"Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive."
- Sir Walter Scott

"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."
- Holy Bible (ESV), Proverbs 29:5

Then there are people who don't mind bending the truth to be kind. Maybe some of these people have an ulterior motive or cruel intentions. Do you know someone who uses flattery to get what they want?

"Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true."
- Robert Brault

"Nine times out of 10, the most charming thing to say in any given situation will be the exact opposite of what one really feels."
- Geoff Dyer, Another Great Day at Sea: Life Aboard the USS George H.W. Bush

"There is nothing worse than words of kindness that lie."
- Juvenal

Some people are kind just because they expect dividends from it.....

"Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns."
- Author Unknown

#MainMessageForToday
Be kind but do not be deceitful.

From the song 'Price Tag' by Jessie J:

Seems like everybody's got a price,
I wonder how they sleep at night,
When the sale comes first
And the truth comes second
Just stop for a minute and smile,
Why is everybody so serious,
Acting so damn mysterious,
Got shades on your eyes
And your heels so high that you can't even have a good time.
...
It's not about the money money money,
We don't need your money money money,
We just wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag.
Ain't about the uh cha-ching cha-ching,
Ain't about the yeah b-bling b-bling,
Wanna make the world dance,
Forget about the price tag.

https://youtu.be/qMxX-QOV9tI

To kill with kindness....
http://www.shmoop.com/shakespeare-quotes/kill-with-kindness/meaning-now.html

"The best way to knock the chip off your neighbor's shoulder is to pat him on the back."
- Author Unknown

"One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind."
- Malayan Proverb

We all know someone at the office who got ahead because they are friendly and help others.......

"Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree."
- Marian Wright Edelman

"In about the same degree as you are helpful, you will be happy." 
- Karl Reiland

"A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money."
- John Ruskin

"Getting money is not all a man's business: to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life."
- Samuel Johnson

#MainMessageForToday
Some people do whatever it takes to make money, including being mean and dishonest.
But maybe that is not a good strategy. Kindness is worth a great deal of money.

"What the world needs now, is love, sweet love..."
- From the song 'What The World Needs Now' performed by Dionne Warwick
https://youtu.be/PbXsZlPbN90

"What this world needs is a new kind of army - the army of the kind." 
- Cleveland Amory

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."
- Mark Twain

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." 
- Dalai Lama

"Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are."
- Author Unknown

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."
- Author Unknown

"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble."
- Charles H. Spurgeon

"Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate."
- Albert Schweitzer

#MainMessageForToday
It is important to be nice or kind. It says a lot about your character.

From the song 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart':

I hope when you decide
kindness will be your guide,
Put a little love in your heart
and the world will be a better place
for you and me,
you just wait and see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3J_3mcOwdQ

It may seem that there are not a lot of good Samaritans in the world, but I can say from experience that there are people out there who care about others and lend a helping hand to those in need.
Thanks to people in Georgia who helped me when I needed assistance years ago!

The Parable of the Good Samaritan....
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A25-37

"Human kindness is becoming a rare commodity. One has to look far and wide to find kindness within a person, simply for the sake of it, with no expectation of anything in return.....
For those who still have this trait within them, guard it well and use it often. It is a trait worth treasuring. It is a trait which puts one in the same league as angels.
...
To be kind means to give to those who are in need without pausing to ask 'what do I get back in return?' It means to help someone simply because they need help which we are able to provide."
- George Sand

"It has always seemed strange to me... the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."
- John Steinbeck

#MainMessageForToday
It may seem that the world is full of selfish, greedy people who do not care about others or respect others. But there are people out there who care.

Theme for the week 10/11 - 10/17: Kindness