This is the second of 10 weekly reading assignments and kind action recommendations using the book “The Power of Kindness” as inspiration.

Reading: Read the chapter called “Mindfulness”

Read slowly, allowing the words to enter deeply rather than superficially. If you find you are coming to your reading as a chore, put the book aside. Come back to it later.

Kind Action: Be Fully Present With Another Person (Do What You Are Doing)

Your kind act this week is to be fully present, attentive, in an interaction with another person. To do this in the way it is meant to be done, you will benefit by practicing mindful awareness in as many of your actions as you can. Start doing this as soon as you can.

While you are practicing such mindfulness, your opportunity to engage with another person will come. Don’t try to go hunting for it as doing so removes you from the present and puts you in the future looking for something to come.

Let it find you. Trust that it will come.

Some Inspirational Ideas & Thoughts (from “The Virtue-Driven Life” by Fr. Benedict Groeschel):

“Enjoy what’s going on while it’s going on. If you go to the supermarket, enjoy it. Don’t make it drudgery. Talk to the cashier. Speak to the people at the fruit counter. Chat with a neighbor. Try to get to know people, get them to talk to you, and make your passage through life pleasurable. If you are a private person and find it a chore or somewhat difficult to speak to strangers, at least smile. Slow down. Smell the flowers as you go by, and then you won’t need too much of this world’s goods. Enjoy your work and you won’t need too much time off. Enjoy being at home and you won’t have to go away so much.”