10,000 Acts of Kindness

“Kindness. One of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon another. If someone is in need, lend them a helping hand. Do not wait for a thank you. True kindness lies within the act of giving without the expectation of something in return.” -- Unknown Author

"Be Kind whenever possible. It is always possible." H.H., Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

     Almost two years ago to the day I wrote an article for this blog titled, "So You Say You Want a Revolution", in which I described our Studio's intention to start a Kindness Revolution. 

     I concluded that article with a quote by poet Maya Angelou, "People may not remember the things you say, or even the things you do, but they will always remember the way you made them feel."

     At Barnes Martial Arts, we understand that if self-defense is truly "protecting ourselves from anything that would cause us harm", then Kindness is self-defense. 

     As a result, we feel that it our calling to radically redefine the concept of self-defense in the minds of the public to include Acts of Kindness. To that end, we have consistently required students to perform a minimum of 5 Acts of Kindness for Stripe and Belt Tests. As a member of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, we have undertaken monthly Kindness Missions -- some suggested by the Foundation, others of our own creation. 

     There is great power in Kindness. It changes lives, and it costs nothing to be a decent, compassionate human being. 

     With that in mind, we are announcing our most ambitious Kindness Mission ever: 10,000 Acts of Kindness. 

     Here is how it works: Beginning today, we are requiring each student -- adults as well as kids -- to do a minimum of 3 Acts of Kindness per day. Write down WHAT you did; WHEN you did it; and for WHOM you did it. Example: "I bought coffee and a sandwich for a homeless person on Tuesday, March 1st." When you have written down 25 Acts of Kindness, turn them in to Master Barnes and start on your next 25!

     It is literally THAT simple. We will keep all of the Acts of Kindness sheets in a large folder and in 6 months, in September, we will tally them up. 

Never underestimate the power of a single act of Kindness

     Our goal is, obviously, 10,000 Acts of Kindness, but if we ALL take part there is no reason why we cannot substantially exceed that goal!

     Let's look at some numbers in order to see just how easy it would be to achieve this goal:

     Say we only have 10 students. If each student performs 3 Acts of Kindness each day, that is 30 Acts of Kindness per day ... 30 x 7 days/week = 210 Acts of Kindness per week ... 210 x 4 weeks/month = 840 Acts of Kindness per month ... 840 x 6 months = 5,040 Acts of Kindness in half a year. 

     That's just with 10 students!! Pretty amazing, right!!

     Now watch what happens when all 40 of our students participate: 40 students x 3 Acts of Kindness per day = 120/day ... 840/week ... 3,360/month ... and ... WAIT FOR IT ...

     ... 20,160 Acts of Kindness in just 6 months!!!

     That is over double our goal!!

     Together, we can do this. We can leave a lasting, positive change on our communities and the world.

     Maybe others will be inspired by our example to "pay it forward." Maybe our Studio will be the center of a movement that ripples outward, one nice act building on another and another. 

    Think about it: we turn on the television or radio, and all we see is violence; on the Nightly News we are witness to story after story of famine, disease, war, poverty, crime, corruption and man's inhumanity to man (and other living creatures). 

     I'm tired of hearing and seeing all of that negativity, aren't you? 

     What if, instead, we all made a concerted effort to be nice to one another?  To actually, genuinely care about our fellow man -- not just SAY it, but ACT on it? What kind of world would it be if we ... all held open doors for one another? ... Let the person with just a few items go ahead of us and our overflowing shopping cart at the grocery store? ... Rescued pets from the SPCA and taught our children how to care for them? ... Made a real effort to say "Please" and "Thank you"? ... Shoveled a neighbor's driveway in the Winter? ... Or raked their leaves in the Fall? ... Or mowed their lawn in the Summer? ... Helped a co-worker with a project? ... Volunteered in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen? ... Bought a sandwich for a homeless person? ... Stopped to chat with a complete stranger? ... Read a book to an elderly person at an assisted living facility? ... Helped someone carry groceries to their car? ... Took a minute out of day to tell our spouse or brother or sister or parents, "I love you"? ... Thanked our car mechanic, or postman, or teacher, or the kid who works the drive-through window at McDonald's and told them what a great job they were doing? 

     What if we did all of those things -- and more -- every day, with no expectation of thanks or reward? What is the worst that could happen? What kind of world would it be?

     Our world would be a better place.

     We might sleep a little more peacefully tonight.

     That doesn’t sound too bad at all.

     In fact, it sounds pretty nice.

     So 10,000 Acts of Kindness? ... Yep, I'm in!

     

     

     

     

You Are Only as Big or as Good as Your Vision

Any Martial Arts studio can teach a student to kick and punch. Unfortunately, that is all some of them do.

I have given 34 years of my life to exploring, training in and teaching the varied arts that I love; I have seen and experienced firsthand the incredible transformational power that can come when they are properly taught and studied.

That is why it deeply pains me to see that, for so many studios, ego has taken over and the driving force has become all about how much money the owner can make (charging hundreds of dollars/month in tuition, using hard-sell tactics, and constantly hyping "program upgrades"), how many "world champions" or so-called "black belts" or they generate (often too quickly and while charging exorbitant test fees, to the detriment of both the student and the art), how many trophies line their front windows, etc. They nominate and elect themselves to meaningless, ridiculous martial arts "Halls of Fame". In the pursuit of money, trophies, glory, or self-aggrandizement they have either forgotten or deliberately abandoned the deeper lessons of the Martial Arts.

While that appears to increasingly be the norm, I'd like to think Barnes Martial Arts students are part of something more intelligent.

They know that fighting is absolutely the last resort, the final option.

They are aware that their actions and behaviors affect their families, their friends, their neighborhoods and their world in ways both positive and negative. They strive on a daily basis to maximize their positive impact while minimizing the negative. 

To that end, our students undertake various projects each month that serve to expand the reach of the lessons they are learning. Here are just a few samples of the Missions (some completed, some ongoing) at Barnes Martial Arts --

• Work toward the elimination of bullying in our local schools by offering classes, seminars and specialized programs that focus on educating students, the public and school administrators and teachers on how to identify, deal with and safely intervene with bullying behavior.

• Work toward the elimination of Domestic Violence in Luzerne County (and elsewhere) by offering free workshops, clinics and self-defense seminars.

• Monthly Kindness Missions -- everything from cleaning up our neighborhoods, to painting Kindness Rocks, to working with charitable organizations like the ALS Association.

• Annual Toy and Clothing Drives to help those in need.

• Working with the Al Beech/West Side Food Pantry to feed hundreds of hungry local families in our area

• Organizing a Card & Letter Campaign for Blake Kitchen, a 12 year old autistic Missouri boy who was severely beaten by a school bully.

• Finding and recognizing local heroes (upcoming)

• Group participation in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge organized in 2014 in memory of my fiancé’s father Ray Williams, to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," a progressive neuro-degenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.

• April 2015 -- Spring planting campaign. It doesn't matter what they plant -- a tree, herbs, vegetables or flowers -- they are spreading Life and that is Kindness. 

Our goal – the likes of which has never been attempted before in Northeast PA – is nothing less than the complete redefinition of the concept of self-defense and the role of the Martial Arts studio – and Martial Arts student -- in the community.

First, we must accept that true self-defense comes from safeguarding ourselves from anything that would harm our mind, body, or spirit. Considering that cardio-vascular disease and diabetes, for example, kill far more people in the United States than do violent street encounters or roving bands of sword-wielding ninjas, it is not an exaggeration to suggest that the food we eat, what we drink and other substances that we put into our bodies are as much factors of self-defense as knowing how to throw a powerful, knockout punch or a devastating kick. 

Next, positivity goes hand-in-hand with Kindness and Compassion.  These are the deeper lessons that we teach; these ideas may be considered as “self-defense of the Spirit.”

Each of our students embodies the commitment to becoming a meaningful, contributing part of their/our community. They realize that the true nature of the training transcends the physical; the act of punching and kicking is merely a vehicle to a deeper understanding of lessons on life and living.

They understand that we are all part of one world and it is our duty, as individuals, to leave that world in a better state than we found it, to steward it for future generations. You might call that “community” or “environmental” self-defense.

The same goes for our mental "nutrition". We must defend our minds as much as our bodies, perhaps more. How different would our day -- indeed, our very lives -- be if we awoke each morning with a heart full of joy, grateful for simply being alive? What successes and benefits would we enjoy if we greeted the morning with a smile on our face? What consequence would we experience if, before we took on the day, we sat for just a moment on the side of our bed and gave silent thanks for 5 or 10 things in our lives?

Attitude does determine our altitude -- in Martial Arts, education, business, and in Life. Of course, it isn't always easy to stay positive in a world that often seems pitted against us. But really, what other choice is there? 

Negativity sets the tone for our day -- we see everything as a curse; the world is out to get us; the Universe hates us. We say destructive things to ourselves like, "This is just my luck" or "I am such a loser", until, like weeds, those thoughts, take root, germinate and grow, eventually dominating not only our behavior but our very identity.

Is that any way to live? By contrast, a positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, reactions, events, behaviors and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.

I often say that our Studio is "small, but we are mighty." The reasons listed above are proof of that.

As Martial Artists we have a greater responsibility to each other. Compassion is one of the fundamental capacities of what it means to be an evocative, instrumental member of one's community, and the world at large. More than that, for Martial Artists it represents balance and harmony. It is not enough for us to learn how to damage people without also learning how to reach out and help them. Too often, Martial Arts studios -- even here in NEPA -- focus on the closed fist rather than the open hand.

This is why it is so important to our identity as a Studio that our students all become engaged in our ongoing efforts to spread Kindness, to set the example that Martial Artists are more than just fighters, and to truly take these lessons ... “Out of the Dojo, Into the World”.

Thank you for your continuing efforts to help us redefine the role of what it means to be a Martial Arts school in our contemporary world, to set the bar higher than it has ever been set locally.

By aligning with our wider, deeper Vision, together we can truly accomplish great things.

What You Do Today ...

The following article was adapted from a post that originally appeared on our Studio Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/barnesmartialarts) 

Talk is cheap.

We all say we care about the state of the world, that something should be done about what is going on in our neighborhoods, but until we take action -- any action, no matter how small or how grand -- until we actually do something nothing will change.

Words are powerful; they reach into our hearts and inspire, but they alone have never changed a thing; action does. Action, combined with the inspiration of powerful words and ideas, is an unstoppable force.

We cannot wait for the white knight to ride in on his steed, or the hero to swoop in and save us.

At the risk of sounding grandiose, we are the white knight; we are the hero.
Barnes Martial Arts is committed to taking action to improve our community and our world ...

Sometimes the gesture is personal, like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that we organized in 2014 in memory of my fiance's father, Ray Williams.

Sometimes the expression is farther reaching and deals with a Universal topic -- such as the current Cards and Letters for Blake Kitchen campaign through which we are attempting to shed more light on the issue of bullying.

Other times, as with the Holiday Clothing and Toy Drives, collecting food for the Al Beech/West Side Food Pantry, or even cleaning up Murray Street, our efforts are focused closer to home.

No positive action is too small.
All positive action is beneficial.

The point is that as Martial Artists we have a greater responsibility to each other. Compassion is one of the fundamental capacities of what it means to be not only a true Black Belt, but a meaningful, contributing member of one's community, and the world at large. More than that, for Martial Artists it represents balance and harmony. It is not enough for us to learn how to damage people without also learning how to reach out and help them. Too often, Martial Arts studios -- even here in Northeastern Pennsylvania -- focus on the closed fist rather than the open hand.

This is why it is so important to our identity as a Studio that our students all become engaged in our ongoing efforts to spread Kindness, to lead by example that Martial Artists are more than just fighters, and to truly take these lessons Out of the Dojo, Into the World.

It is incumbent upon all of us to leave our world in a better state than we found it.

Thank you all for your continuing efforts to help us redefine the role of what it means to be a Martial Arts school in our contemporary world, to set the bar higher than it has ever been set, especially here in Northeast PA.

By aligning with our wider, deeper Vision, we truly can -- and most certainly will -- accomplish great things.

Kid's Martial Arts Class, Forty Fort, Pennsylvania. Seated, Patient, and Building Good Character.

Kid's Martial Arts Class, Forty Fort, Pennsylvania. Seated, Patient, and Building Good Character. 

Here's a photo of two young men in our Little Dragons Class class who have recently tested for their next belt rank. The shot was taken with a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 cell phone. I like this photo as it shows thee two young men sitting patiently and proudly as they listen to the instructors praise for their performance, perseverance, and their ability to set and achieve goals. 

In the martial arts, especially with young people, character development goes hand in hand with learning the physical skills of the art. 

Barnes Martial Arts is located at 1366 Murray Street in Forty Fort, PA 18704. You may write us through this blog or our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/barnesmartialarts or reach us by phone at (570) 332-4377.

Here's a link to our Tumblr : (http://barnesmartialarts.tumblr.com/). Here's a link to our YOUTUBE Channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/BarnesMartialArtsFortyFort).

WHAT BARNES MARTIAL ARTS REALLY DOES AS A MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL

Barnes Martial Arts IS different from other Martial Arts schools in the area.

Although we, of course, teach kicking, punching and grappling, we are MORE than kicking, punching and grappling.

Although we teach the best in modern, real-world self-defense, we are MORE than just self-defense.

We believe that being a Black Belt –- or, as we call our students at B.M.A., a Black Belt in Training –- encompasses body, mind and spirit. To teach only the physical aspects of the Martial Arts, the fighting skills, without devoting equal time to the mental, character building and attitude facets is to do a great disservice to the practitioners.

We do not participate in sport karate tournaments, or chase trophies, because we believe the only true competitor is yourself. We believe that it is every one's duty to go to bed tonight having become just a little better than we were when we got up this morning. Therefore, we emphasize that the student has a responsibility to use their training in a way that not only best represents themselves and the Martial Arts, but in a manner that serves the greatest benefit to their families and communities as well.

We believe that a Black Belt means nothing without including service to others.

We believe in and teach ...

* Kindness

* Helping our fellow man

* Community

* Peace

* Compassion

* Empowering children to take a stand against bullies

* Positivity

* Awareness

* Building Character

* Respect for oneself and others

* The power of discipline

... and so much more.

We see ourselves as change makers, and in the wise words of one of my mentors, Tom Callos, “we are here to represent and realize the idea of true MASTERY; mastery over negative emotions and action; mastery over the foolishness of thinking you are what you own or can afford; mastery over apathy; mastery over disconnection, prejudice, and ignorance; mastery over the pitfalls of a diet without discipline, of a body let go, of a mind left unused.”

Though American Kenpo Karate informs our base, we are NOT restricted to the dictates, curriculum or dogma of any one style of Martial Art. We are open to the ideas of all systems. In this way we become unlimited in our potential. The style is merely a VEHICLE; it might be pretty, it probably has some value, but the car is not the journey; a car is made to take you on a journey.

And while teaching your children – yes, YOURS --  how to punch people in the face, choke them, and or defend themselves from the same — might seem on the surface like the mission of a Martial Arts teacher — I echo the view of Mr. Callos, that it is “not the MOST important work, NOT the work that really matters at that age, that might really bring about the change we have the potential to play a role in, or that might actually make these little people more powerful, participative, engaged, compassionate —and thus happier and more connected to that which it is best to be connected to.”

At Barnes Martial Arts we strive to be smart, connected, awake teachers, who use the martial arts to influence our students to participate in Life, not fights. Our aim is to provide the tools, experiences and viewpoints that speak of a better, more compassionate, less violent world.

We want to do this at a Level 10, directly affecting not only our students but our communities as well. We want to do it better than anyone else in our area (and I truly think that we already are), in our town, in our sphere of friends and peers, maybe as good as anyone in the nation or the world.

Barnes Martial Arts is going beyond the physical to redefine the very concept of self-defense – to include ANYTHING that might harm our bodies, minds and spirits.

Food? Yes, guarding what we put into this incredible machine (our body) IS self-defense.

Our environment? Of course. Pollution, littering, not caring for our land and water – all of those things directly affect our health and are, therefore, self-defense.

Our actions and behaviors? The things that we say and do out of anger or without thought bring about chains of suffering to ourselves and others.

These things, in addition to kicking and punching, etc., truly are at the core of what “self-defense” is today. By paying attention to our own actions and behaviors we think globally and act locally. We use our Martial Arts training and teaching to engage young people and adults in Acts of Kindness, in the importance of performing daily acts of goodness, compassion, care, connection — and what doing for others does for ourselves; THIS is the spine of our work. 

I am talking about focus, direction, and a deeper sense of connection to our world. I am talking about making a difference and forming a legacy for ALL of our students.

We have a Vision. A Grand Vision.

To my knowledge, no one in our area has EVER tried to accomplish what we are attempting -- a wholesale re-imagining of the role of the Martial Arts teacher and the Martial Arts school and integration into the community; elevating it above mere sport ... or a kid's activity ...or fighting. We aim to remove the Martial Arts Studio from the fringe and place it on a level of importance and vitality with mainstream education. Our students are our living testimony to that goal. 

If you support the initiative to take these lessons out of the Dojo and into the world at large ... if you think we are doing good work ... if you agree with our mission, we respectfully ask that you spread the word: tell others about us, SHARE this blog page on your own pages. The greatest compliment that you could possibly give us is to let others know about us.

Together we can continue to make a real difference.

Making Kindness a Mission

At Barnes Martial Arts we do more than pay lip-service to being kind to others ... we walk the talk. Kindness changes lives -- it can ease the pain of sickness; lift one out of a blue mood; change the course of a bad day; and a gentle smile or an act of kindness and compassion has been known to literally save lives.

That is why, each month, in conjunction with the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation -- a NATIONAL organization dedicated to spreading the message that Kindness can change the world -- our Studio has committed to undertake a "Kindness Mission".

Each Mission will be a project or activity that we will perform AS A GROUP, as a school, and that will have a wide-ranging impact on our community.

It doesn't have to be complicated or a huge gesture to accomplish this, but it DOES have to be something for which there is a NEED. Kindness can take many forms, grand or subtle -- helping someone carry groceries; holding a door for another person; a compliment; organizing a fundraising event for someone suffering from an illness; rebuilding a neighborhood after a natural disaster; smiling at someone who is having a terrible day. 

A big community like ours means a big opportunity to make a big difference.

For instance, our March Kindness Mission Theme was: "Community!" On Saturday, March 29, thirteen volunteers gathered at the Studio at 10:00 AM to clean up Murray Street.

It was a dreary overcast day, and we defied the rain, splitting into two groups; one headed up Murray street toward Kingston, the other group heading down Murray street toward Swoyersville. We started out by walking up one side of the street, then when we got to the end, we crossed over to the other side and worked our way back to the Studio.

It took us just under two hours to clean the streets, sidewalks, and even a few front yards along the way. And, oh the things we found!! -- paper, plastic bottles, loose change, a pool noodle, monopoly money, about 10 million cigarette butts, a bone (!) and ... a "lobster" (ask the kids!). 

I have NEVER seen kids get so excited about cleaning up trash!!

By the time it was over, we had filled two and a half 33-gallon garbage bags!! 

Afterward, back at Barnes Martial Arts everyone got to enjoy delicious pizza and soda, kindly donated by Pizza Bella in Forty Fort. They heard about our Kindness Mission and went above and beyond!! My sincerest thanks also to Pizza Bella! You guys rock!

So I just want to say thank you, one more time, to all of our students and their families who made our first Kindness Mission such a success. It was a LOT of work, but it was worth it because we really helped to make our community a better place. I am proud to be your teacher. 
We may be a small studio, but we are mighty!!

In the months to come, as we continue to grow as a school, we will take on new and exciting Kindness Missions. By making Kindness a habit, we have a direct influence on the future. 

Here are a few pictures from the event. More pictures and details can be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/barnesmartialarts

A Kindness Checklist

So you think that performing Random Acts of Kindness is a great idea (I do too!) but you don't know where to start. Here is a checklist of possible activities. You can do these for friends, family members even complete strangers (remember, though, if you are a younger student make sure Mom and Dad are there to supervise).

None of these take a lot of time, or cost a lot of money (most, in fact, cost nothing). The point is that Kindness is often found in the small gestures, the little things that someone does unexpectedly that can change a person's day.

Now ... get out there and change the world! I believe you will.

• Open the door for someone.
• Give a helping hand when you see someone carrying a lot of stuff.
• Give a homeless person your leftovers from a restaurant.
• Purchase a some umbrellas, blankets, ponchos at a dollar store and keep it in your trunk – when it’s a rainy/cold day, find a person who needs it and give them one.
•  Give a lottery ticket to a stranger.
• Leave anonymous thank you notes to teachers.
• Invite a friend to the movies or dinner.
• Put change in a vending machine.
• Leave a book you have already finished somewhere for someone else to read.
• Drop off a toy or game at a homeless shelter.
• Pay for a bridge toll for the person behind you.
• Send someone a small gift anonymously.
• Drop off flowers at your friend or neighbor’s house.
• Buy a meal for a homeless person.
• Buy a movie ticket for the person behind you in line.
• Pay for someone’s meal behind you at a fast-food drive-thru.
• Write an inspirational note to someone who needs inspiration.
• Send a card to someone in the military overseas.
• Put something you no longer need on craigslist.org for free.
• Drop off a toy or game at a hospital.
• At the post office, leave some extra stamps at the stamp machine.
• Buy a phone card and give to a homeless shelter for them to give to someone.
• Open the phone book, pick a name, and send them something (movie tickets, thank you card, book, etc.) anonymously.
•  Take flowers to a hospital ward and give them to someone who hasn’t had any visitors.
• Drop off teddy bear to police department to give to traumatized children.
• Drop a few coins in an area where children play, where they can easily find them.
• Write letters of appreciation to groups who are helping the community, the environment, etc.
• Go to a tourist spot and offer couples/families to take their pictures with their camera.
• If you know someone who is having a hard time financially, pop $5, $10 or $20 in an envelope, disguise your writing or type the envelope, and mail it to them.
•  Tape some change to a payphone with a card saying it is for whoever needs it.
• Write anonymous, loving post-its for strangers to find.
• At a restaurant, pay for a table’s lunch or dinner anonymously.
• Pay for someone’s groceries.
• Volunteer your time at a non-profit organization.
• Smile!
• Acknowledge the cashier who’s helping you and genuinely ask them how they’re doing.
• Wave back to children who wave at you.
• Say hello.
• Reach an item off a high shelf for someone.
• Give up your seat to someone who needs it more.
• Remove debris or other obstacles from a road or path.
• If you arrive at a stop sign at the same time as another driver, let them go first.
• Pay someone a compliment.
• Help someone with their groceries or bags.
• Offer to help an elderly neighbor with their household chores.
• Call a friend randomly and let them know you’re thinking of them.
• Bring a treat to work to share with your coworkers.

So You Say You Want a Revolution

From April 9, 1775 to September 3 1783 -- 8 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day -- a rag-tag collection of Colonial American Patriots took up arms and fought against British oppressors to, ultimately, secure the sovereignty and freedom of the United States of America. 

I am calling for another Revolution against a foe no less dangerous, intractable and oppressive -- perhaps more so -- than the British of two centuries ago. 

We live in a culture which increasingly places profits above people; objectifies women in song, and reduces them to body parts on screen and in advertising; sells young girls on a standard of beauty that is not only unhealthy, but outright dangerous; in which bored thugs play the so-called "knockout game" for entertainment; in which elected officials routinely lie, cheat, and stick it to their constituents -- and in which voters have become so apathetic as to see this unethical behavior as merely the price of doing business. 

We live in a society that lifts overpaid, spoiled athletes and actors above teachers and healers; in which our racial and cultural differences are a source of division and divisiveness, rather than viewed with pride as a source of what makes this Nation great; in which we belittle others for being "this" or "that", instead of recognizing that "we" are all "One". 

     

I am not some starry-eyed, hippy, peace-freak, flower child ... I am simply a man, a father, a husband-to-be, a friend, a lifelong Martial Artist who is old enough and who has amassed enough life experience to recognize a fundamental problem in this world ... 

The problem: coldness. Callousness. A deep-seated lack of respect. For ourselves. For each other. For our world. I do not know how the world got to be this way or where, exactly, it went off the rails. I don't think anyone can point a finger at a single reason. 

I do know that there is a solution. 

A Kindness Revolution. 

This idea is neither new, nor original to me, but it is worthwhile. The more people who take up the challenge, the greater the effect. As a growing Martial Arts Studio, we are in a unique position to bring such a Revolution to fruition. 

 Instead of shouldering muskets like our forebears, our weapons will be awareness and compassion. Our duty, our mission, is to take this lesson out of the Dojo and into our community, to perform Acts of Kindness -- for our friends, families, neighbors, even (especially) strangers -- with no expectation of either thanks or payment. We do it simply because it is the right thing to do. Our fervent goal is that others witness our example, or benefit from our actions, and pay it forward. Like a pebble tossed into a still pool, our kind actions ripple outward, one act propelling another and another and another, each building on the previous until it becomes a tidal wave. 

The compassion of the individual becomes the compassion of the family ... becomes the compassion of the neighborhood ... becomes the compassion of the town or city ... becomes the compassion of the county ... state .... nation ... world. 

This is not a mere dream. All great movements begin with a thought, a belief that it can and must be accomplished. It must be given more than lip service or a token effort. It requires action and consistency. 

It is work, no doubt. But, as the saying goes, if it was easy, everyone would do it. Nonetheless, the movement need not start with some grand, sweeping gesture. Start small: anonymously pay for some one's coffee; mow some one's lawn; carry their groceries; wash their car; carry a classmate's books; shovel snow from a neighbor's walk; anything, really, that lightens the burden of another or otherwise brightens their day. 

Even one determined person, working alone, can make a huge difference. Imagine if one person -- you, perhaps -- performed just 3 Random Acts of Kindness per day ... that would be 21 per week ... 84 per month ... 1, 008 per year. And if we started at age 10 and lived an average of 83 years, that would be 73, 584 Random Acts of Kindness over the course of a single lifetime. 

What kind of effect would that have upon your school, job, community? 

What about a group of 100 people -- a Martial Arts Studio, for instance -- unified, doing the same thing? 300 Random Acts of Kindness per day ... 2,100 per week ... 8,400 per month ... 100, 800 per year ... and an ASTOUNDING 7, 358, 400 over the course of an average life. 

Envision the kind of world that would be!!

These numbers are definitely achievable!! 

I, for one, am tired of living in a cold, uncaring, often cruel world. But rather than sit back and complain, I am committed to fighting back with Kindness. 

I would like to invite you, my students, adults and kids alike, to join me; after all, the ultimate aim of the Martial Arts is the perfection of one's character. 

By requiring Acts of Kindness for progression through the ranks, it is my sincere hope and desire that we develop Kindness as a habit. Our tiny Studio can become the catalyst for a massive groundswell of local positivity. 

People may not remember the things you say or even the things you do, but they will always remember how you made them feel. At the end of the day, a legacy of Kindness, my friends, changes lives, and that is a great thing indeed.