I love crowds and Austin is currently the place that has people from around the globe. The annual, South by Southwest festival, also known as SXSW, brings together creative individuals whose specialties are: Interactive, Video and Music to name a few. This is a hard town to leave, especially in the middle of a festival with such great exposure. Bogart has become somewhat of a local celebrity, as I have plastered dozens of flyers of his likeness on light poles throughout the downtown area. It certainly created a buzz about The Kindness Bus Tour.
Thank you to numerous individuals from Austin and across the globe who I have met during my week-long stay.
Thank you to Sal from Ruth’s Chris Steak House for the offer of  “Anything on the menu.”
Next year two weeks is the plan for Austin. I’m looking forward to it already.

A champion for children, State of Texas Representative, Diane Patrick, a life-long educator, who authored the bullying bill protecting Texas school children, invited me to her office here in Austin.
The reason for my visit was two-fold. First and foremost I wanted to thank her for the due diligence to see this bullying bill through, to garner enough votes for its passage. The second reason was that, as a life-long educator, what knowledge could she impart to me, to help me with my mission going forward. The visit was invaluable.
Thank you to Representative Patrick and to her staff for helping to set up this meeting and for your interest in my mission.
The main points of the new Texas bullying law, are that it:
•  Establishes a new bullying definition that includes bullying through electronic means;
• Integrates awareness, prevention, identification, and resolution of and intervention in bullying into the health curriculum;
• Provides local school boards with discretion to transfer a student found to have bullied to another classroom or to another campus in consultation with the parent or guardian; and
• Requires local school districts to adopt and implement a bullying policy that recognizes minimum guidelines, such as prohibition of bullying, providing counseling options, and establishing procedures for reporting an incidence of bullying.

Life is challenging at times, to say the least. Uncertainties abound. Plans change for the better or worse depending on how you view them, it always does get better. Like the song says, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”
It is all good though. Know that there is always an up to your down. And know, it always does get better. Learn from the negativity that may come your way by making good from it. Make good from the bad. Make good from the good. Only make good, no matter what!!
Make good for others. Make good for yourself no matter what. No matter what hand the world may be dealing you, know that it always does get better.
Knowing this, hang on to your life with all your might. Life changes for everyone. This is normal. Know that you aren’t alone. Realize how much you are loved by people who you didn’t realize love you. Find them! Love them back!! They need your love. This is SO important for you to do. So many people are in need of you. Be a hero to them!! Hang in there. Get beyond it. Go beyond it. Be strong. Be very strong. The world needs you. Know that you are loved!!!
Someone needs you in a very big way…someone you have yet to meet…be here for them…let them know that it always does get better.

One year ago, on February 27th, three lives tragically came to an end in a school shooting in Chardon, Ohio.
This event has special meaning for me as the High School was a mere 10 miles from my home.
I ride The Kindness Bicycle every day in honor of these three young men, hoping that others across the country will see the messages written on the signs on its frame.
Messages of kindness and respect need to be taught and shown by example to the youth in our society by parents. Parents need to be by their child’s side, every step of the way. A child stands a much better chance of becoming a caring adult when this is the case.

In her New York Times best selling book, Self-compassion, Kristin Neff, Ph.D., states that one of the three elements of Self-compassion is Self-kindness. Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism.  Self-compassionate people recognize that being imperfect, failing, and experiencing life difficulties is inevitable, so they tend to be gentle with themselves when confronted with painful experiences rather than getting angry when life falls short of set ideals. People cannot always be or get exactly what they want. When this reality is denied or fought against suffering increases in the form of stress, frustration and self-criticism.  When this reality is accepted with sympathy and kindness, greater emotional equanimity is experienced.
I had the fortune to meet with this brilliant woman this past weekend. Her website, www.self-compassion.org I recommend to everyone. It teaches you some of the basics of Self-compassion.
Information about her book, lectures and workshops can be found as well.
Visit her website to discover the other two elements of Self-compassion.