Comfort is one of the most basic of needs an individual can receive. This comfort can come from another individual, an animal or a place in nature. When we are hurting inside, it is imperative to receive comfort in any way, shape or form, to reach inner peace.
Being in nature or seeing the beauty of a photograph of nature, can soothe the troubled soul. Just getting away from the hustle and bustle of life for a while can help to center oneself and come away with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of life.
Find a beautiful place of refuge you can visit on a regular basis, to connect with nature, to reconnect with yourself.
An 8 year ride for kids
Put an end to Bullying & Adolescent Suicide
Put an end to Bullying & Adolescent Suicide
In year 3 of this mission, I introduced a bicycle ride to my travels to raise
awareness about issues kids are having to deal with at far too young an age.
Bullying and Adolescent Suicide are two of these challenging burdens most kids
will unfairly have to overcome throughout the remainder of their lives. At rides
end we will have ridden enough miles to traveled the perimeter of the earth, twice.
My mission on this ride has but one focus: To save kids lives.
Places of Refuge
December 2nd, 2012The Inner Bully
December 1st, 2012There is so much said and reported about the actions of the bully toward another individual, but little is talked about the inner bully in some of us.
When an individual is too hard on oneself, life becomes more of a challenge than it needs to be.
The following is taken from “Inner Bully,” a book by Dr. Sidney J. Cohen PhD Licensed Psychologist:
The following is taken from “Inner Bully,” a book by Dr. Sidney J. Cohen PhD Licensed Psychologist:
Let’s start with the idea that your Inner Bully is a very negative part of your subconscious, that acts like an evil force. This force is not directed at other people; it is directed at you. It is what causes you to beat up on yourself and feel like you are your own worst enemy. It is what causes you to blow out of all proportion anything you think you’ve done wrong or badly. The more often your Inner Bully gets you to berate and criticize yourself, the more vulnerable you become to various psychological problems, like depression and anxiety, as well as to psychosomatic symptoms, like headaches, high blood pressure, GI disturbances, and sleep impairment. Overall, the number one purpose of your evil Inner Bully is to convince you (deep down in your subconscious) that you do not deserve to get what you want in life–much less to be happy. This affects every part of your life, from your job or schooling, to your relationships, to your ability to have fun in general. Yes, the word “deserve” is the key here: as far as your Inner Bully is concerned, you never deserve to get what you want, even when you feel convinced you have earned it.
One of Your Many Choices in Life
November 30th, 2012Does the thought, I think I’ll get up and make some crystal meth in the backyard shed today?, happen on a spur of the moment or is it a slow steady downward spiral to a life of hellish addiction?
The juxtaposition of a story of The Kindness Bicycle sharing the front page with a story of a 38 year old man making some incredibly wrong decisions, was a lesson in life choices to say the very least. This 38 year old, was concocting meth in a shed, a mere 100 feet from a school. Somehow, someway, you hope and pray people like him, by getting caught, will transform them and change their life to be able to help others who choose this living hell.
If you are thinking about doing drugs, don’t!
If you are doing drugs, stop!
These two statements are part of The Kindness Bus Tour’s message to kids, and after seeing these two articles share the front page, I am adding them to the side of The Kindness Bus tomorrow.
Having a lifetime goal of kindness, can save you from a living hell of many an affliction. It is one of your many choices in life.
More Great Press
November 29th, 2012
Scripps newspaper photographer, Christopher Arnold has been a huge help for the Ring Our Country with Kindness bicycle ride while I have been riding along the Treasure Coast of Florida. Twice, his photographs of the Kindness Bicycle have graced the front page of the 2nd section of two newspapers in coastal communities. It has been a big help and is getting us some great exposure.
Today I visited five schools, talking with educators and guidance counselors about the ROCK ride. Miss Davis, a counselor from New Horizons visits 5 schools in the district. She talks with kids, about their lives and tries to remedy some of the problems one at a time. She is going to do some research on some of the tools on the One Million Acts Of Kindness website. She loved the Kindness Certificate.
Jupiter, Florida
November 28th, 2012
What a friendly town Jupiter is. I have been here once before and the townsfolk have opened their hearts and arms, embracing the goal of kindness I am trying to promote. I visited 4 schools in Jupiter with a very interested audience.
Cindy McGee, the Physical Education instructor at Jupiter Academy, was thrilled to see someone ride up on a bicycle with a sign which reads, “Riding 9,000 miles for kids.” I am hoping to be able to visit this school again in late January. One of my other stops was to Jupiter Elementary School. They are doing everything right in educating the students at this “Five Star School.”
A local radio station, WJTW learned of my visit and reported on my travels in their town. I’ll take all the good press I can get.
A Full Day by Noon
November 27th, 2012
I started the day researching future stops and routes for the upcoming 2 weeks and then headed south to Fort Pierce, Florida. I had an appointment to meet with Chris Arnold, a photographer for Scripps Newspapers. It was his photo that graced the cover of the 2nd section of the Press Journal in Vero Beach. He wants to do the same sort of story for the Scripps paper in Fort Pierce. We met for quite some time for an interview and photo shoot.
My 2nd stop was for a very early lunch at a local restaurant owned by Scott Van Duzer who is a huge supporter of local community efforts and needs. He is going to arrange a talk at the Boys and Girls Club on my return trip through Fort Pierce.
I headed next to Indian River State College. I met with student advisor, Sharon Lowe. She has had a long career of counseling adolescents and was an instant fan of my mission.
Janie Gould at WQCS, a local radio station did a very nice interview, focusing on the “why” of my ride.
Jackie at the Saint Lucie County School Board was next up and is going to make copies of my handout sheet and post one in their lunch room.
In the early afternoon hours, I met Mindi Fetterman, a very courageous survivor. She is starting a local sexual abuse/rape crisis center in Fort Pierce. She has a huge passion for helping those with a very big need in a very big way. I have no doubt, this woman is going to make a huge difference in the lives of many people.
Thank you to good friend James from Fort Pierce for helping with most of the logistics to today’s visits.
St. Peter’s Preparatory Academy
November 26th, 2012
I love visiting schools across the country and talking to the students, teachers and faculty about having a goal of kindness. To me, It is the best deterrent to bullying. Today I visited Saint Peter’s Prep in Gifford, Florida, on the invitation of Barbara Andrews, who heads the Administration Department. This K-6 academy is doing a wonderful job of helping to learn the core character building traits while getting an academic education. These very well behaved children have some challenging lives so I tried to let them know the greatness they can reach in their lives. After the program ended, one of the 5th grade students came over and told me, “You changed my life today.” It was a very special moment. I hope all children feel a sense of pride and a feeling that they truly can be great person in this world after my program. Samuel Bristol, Dean of the School had some equally kind things to say about the program. “This was good for the kids,” was one of them.
While out riding, I met Alexandra, a young Swedish mother of two young boys who live in Vero. She has decided to be a stay at home mom and give her children the best possible upbringing she can. What a refreshing conversation the four of us had.
An article about One Million Acts Of Kindness was in a recent issue of South Magazine in Savannah. The link is below.
