BradAronson

2025 Guide: 12 Meaningful Holiday Gifts That Give Back

Caloua — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 02:15:27 +0000

If you’re looking for ways to make a real difference—without needing a huge budget—these organizations prove just how powerful small acts of generosity can be. From restoring sight and funding classrooms to delivering groceries and celebrating birthdays, each opportunity below offers an extraordinary return on kindness, often for less than the cost of a night out.

	Cure Blindness Project Cure Blindness Project transforms lives by restoring sight. A $195 donation funds a life-changing surgery.
	Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents fulfills small wishes for seniors (started by Ruby Chitsey at age 11). Wishes range from $5–$30 for everyday necessities like socks, pajamas, and shampoo.
	One Simple Wish One Simple Wish lets you make a child in foster care’s holiday brighter by fulfilling their gift wish, thoughtfully submitted by their caseworker.
	DonorsChoose DonorsChoose connects us with classrooms lacking resources. The site, which lists teacher requests for their classrooms, has fulfilled more than 1.9 million requests. Donors can choose the school, class and project they want to help fund with donations as small as $1.
	Family to Family Family to Family allows you to sponsor a family with a monthly box of groceries for $20-$30 a month.
	Reach out and Read Reach Out and Read transforms futures by addressing early literacy gaps. Less than half of U.S. children in poverty start kindergarten ready to learn. 75% will struggle to catch up and be more likely to drop out of school. For under $25 a year, this proven program boosts a child’s language skills and chance for success in school.
	The Confetti Foundation The Confetti Foundation provides birthdays for kids in the hospital. The cost of one birthday party? $50.
	4Paws for Ability 4Paws for Ability provides life-changing service dogs to kids in need. $25 a month helps fund a service dog and $75 a month (for 4 months) covers the costs for a child to attend service dog training.
	The Birthday Party Project The Birthday Party Project brings birthday parties to kids in homeless shelters. $35 for a gift and $50 for a party.
	Kiva Kiva allows you to contribute as little as $25 towards loans supporting U.S. and developing world entrepreneurs who wouldn’t otherwise get funded. Sustainable businesses are the result, leading to jobs and self-sufficiency. And, you can reinvest, because 96.4% of loans are repaid.
	Miracle Feet Miracle Feet transforms lives by curing clubfoot in children from high-poverty countries. A $500 donation provides the treatment needed to allow a child to walk and thrive.
	Fistula Foundation Fistula Foundation provides life-changing surgeries to women suffering from obstetric fistula, a condition that causes permanent incontinence and often leads to abandonment. Most affected are women in their twenties in areas with limited healthcare. $619 funds a surgery that restores health, dignity, and hope.

Whether you give $5, $25, or a few dollars a month, these gifts provide an opportunity to impact lives in meaningful ways.

This content is from my book HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time. HumanKind celebrates the best of humanity with uplifting true stories about everyday heroes who are changing the world. Plus 100% of author royalties go to charity. It’s a wonderful gift that gives back!

The post 2025 Guide: 12 Meaningful Holiday Gifts That Give Back appeared first on BradAronson.

103 Random Acts of Kindness – Ideas to Inspire Kindness

Brad Aronson — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:29:23 +0000

Below are random acts of kindness, planned acts of kindness, and good deeds that you can perform right now to make someone’s day.

Many of these ideas come from my book, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time, a national bestseller filled with true stories about how one small deed can make a world of difference. Like the six-year-old who started a global kindness movement and the $45 donation that rippled across continents to change thousands of lives. (“The most uplifting book in years”—Forbes.)

And Now . . . 103 Planned and Random Acts of Kindness

Create a holiday to celebrate someone you love. I have “Mia Appreciation Day” for my wife. Your appreciation day can be as simple as declaring the date of the holiday and writing a note of thanks each year to read out loud on that day.You can also invent your own fun or crazy family holiday and traditions. We have a holiday where everyone dresses head to toe in orange and competes in various silly events.
Put 50–100 paper hearts or smiley faces in a box. On each cutout write something that is special about your lover or a good friend. Give her the box and tell her to pull out a heart or smiley face anytime she gets lonely or wants a pick me up.
Find opportunities to give compliments. It costs nothing, takes no time, and could make someone’s entire day. Don’t just think it. Say it.
Your compliment could be something silly, yet endearing. Here’s a post from Pinterest.
Upon entering the Magic Kingdom, one of the security guards said to Alli, ‘Excuse me Princess, can I have your autograph?’ I could see that the book was filled with children’s scribbles as the guard asked the same question of many little Princesses. Alli could not get over the fact that the guard thought she was a real princess.” From Pinterest.
Share overheard compliments.
One easy way to ensure you write a nice note or give at least one compliment a day . . . When you open your inbox for the first time of the day write a short email (or text) – 1 paragraph max – praising someone. This note can be as simple as, “Just wanted to say, ‘thanks for being such a great friend.’” Or, “Thinking of you.” Or, point out something nice that you’ve noticed. 15 seconds can make someone’s entire day. And, when you look for a compliment to give each day, your mind starts to naturally see more opportunities to compliment, which will make you more aware of and appreciative of the kindness around you.
Here’s Helen Mrosla’s great kindness idea…
Give each member of your family, team, class or group a piece of paper with the name of every group member on the piece of paper. Tell each group member to “write what you appreciated about each fellow group member next to the person’s name” (or you can give out notecards and instruct everyone to “write what you appreciate about each group member on a separate notecard”). The leader collects all of the sheets/cards.

All of the comments are organized so each person gets all of the positive comments about them.

Helen discovered that her students cherished these sheets so much that the students kept them and still talked about them a decade later. The parents of one student told Helen that their son took the paper with him when he was deployed and kept it with him the entire time.

I’ve done this exercise with the young adults I teach, and they love it.People don’t hear how special they are often enough. This act of kindness exercise is a simple way to appreciate others in a lasting and touching way.

Take five minutes to send cards to sick children who are fighting serious illnesses and want to receive mail. Send mail to Cards for Hospitalized Kids, which delivers the cards to children in U.S. hospitals. A great activity for individuals, families and classrooms.
This nonprofit was started by Jen Rubino when she was 14-years old! Jen’s inspiration was her own hospitalization as a child and teen. She sometimes felt forgotten, depressed, lonely and isolated. During one difficult hospital stay, she received a handmade card from a hospital volunteer that brightened her day. That inspired her nonprofit, which has delivered more than 500,000 cards.
Through Cardz for Kidz! you can also send cards to lift the spirits of hospitalized and/or traumatized kids. Cardz for Kidz! delivers around the globe.
Sign up to get 30 free “You Matter” cards. Give them out to people who make a difference in your life. From the cheery barista who gets your day started right to the family member who asks how you’re doing and then listens to what you have to say. I cover the You Matter Marathon in more detail here. You can read about the woman who got the movement started, which has led to over three million cards given out globally.
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, remember any friends who have lost a parent the previous year, and check in with them. Those will be tough days.
Make little gift baskets for the kids in your neighborhood. One of our neighbors made our son an Easter basket (also a Halloween and Christmas basket). It made our son, my wife and me feel great. The cost of each basket was probably $5.
“I’m going to the supermarket. Can I pick something up for you?” If you know someone who is overwhelmed – perhaps by a new baby, family health issues, or something else – give them a call when you’re going out to the store. Ask if they’d like you to pick something up. We’ve been the beneficiaries of this random act of kindness, and it’s great.
When a friend’s family member dies, an incredible gift is to gather stories about the deceased. Get friends and family members to provide stories, anecdotes and photos. Your friend will forever cherish the book you’ll put together. If you can’t make an entire book, just sharing your fond memories is appreciated.
When you buy goods from over 1,700 online retailers you can use iGive to have that retailer donate money to your favorite charity. This includes major retailers like Best Buy, Expedia, Bed Bath and Beyond, and others.
Help a teacher get the supplies needed for class. DonorsChoose connects us with classrooms lacking resources. The site, which lists teacher requests for their classrooms, has fulfilled more than 1.9 million requests. Donors can choose the school, class and project they want to help fund with donations as small as $1.
Collect soda can tabs to donate to Ronald McDonald House a nonprofit that supports sick children and their families. The charity gets paid for the tabs.
My mom called me after a winter storm that resulted in a few days of icy roads. Mom suggested I call some of the seniors in my neighborhood to make sure they were ok and didn’t need anything. What a great idea.
The thoughtful owner of Fox’s Pizza Den in Ligonier, PA went even further. When freezing temperatures made it dangerous for elderly people to go outside, Tom Wynkoop offered that his delivery people would bring medicine, food or other necessities to those who couldn’t get out due to health reasons – no food ordering required.
If you’re a musician living in NYC, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Nashville, Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Baltimore, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Boston or Miami, you can volunteer through the nonprofit Musicians on Call to deliver a live, in-room performance to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds. Provide a dose of joy to people living in healthcare facilities by bringing the healing power of music to people who need it.
Put a surprise note or sketch in with your spouse’s or kid’s lunch.
Help others find the positive by seeking it out and pointing it out. At the beginning of one of my classes (this class was for older teens), we’d often discuss what was going on in the students’ lives. My students were all in foster care and often focused on what was unfair in their lives and the hardships they faced. My students had a lot to be upset about, but focusing on the negative wasn’t helping.
One student frequently pointed out what was special about her classmates as well as the positive. “Elijah, I’m so impressed with your progress on your handyman business,” or “Thomas, you’re such a great presenter.” When Yasmiyn spoke you could see other people glowing. In fact, Yasmiyn’s participation changed the tone of our class. Over time, everyone started noticing and pointing out the positive. Our class thrived after taking Yasmiyn’s lead of looking for and sharing the positive.
When it’s summer and hot outside, give cold Gatorades to your mail carrier and trash collectors. When it’s freezing outside, offer hot chocolate to crossing guards, police officers and others.
Cook an extra portion of dinner (or dessert) for someone who needs it. Caring for Friends is a Philadelphia area nonprofit that delivers about 500,000 meals yearly to people in need. It started with one woman’s small acts of kindness. Rita Schiavone made an extra meal each night to give to someone who needed it. Soon friends found out and joined her. Then one thing led to another, and a wonderful nonprofit was born. Read her amazing story.
After a wedding or party donate all of the flowers to a nursing home. If you want to see the impact of these random acts of kindness, personally deliver a flower to each resident. You could also bring the flowers to a hospital and ask the receptionist to distribute them to patients who could use them.
Speaking of flowers — Why not take flowers to the nursing station at a hospital — for the nurses.
Tell someone the truth. Sometimes it’s really hard, but it’s what friends do.
Say “thank you” to someone who made a difference. . . .Send a card to people who dedicate their lives to helping us – soldiers, police officers, fire fighters and teachers to name a few.
A student at Mango Elementary gave the police officer patrolling her school this note after the Sandy Hook tragedy.

Write a letter to a deployed or wounded member of the military through Operation Gratitude or Soldiers’ Angels. Soldiers say that letters are the most meaningful part of the care packages they receive.
It’s never too late to say “thanks.” I sent a note 7 years after someone had helped me, and she told me it made her feel terrific. I’m glad I got over my embarrassment at how much time had passed and finally sent it.
On the topic of “thank you”, TD Bank’s Thank you video shows them turning ATMs into Automatic Thanking Machines for some personal and special moments for customers. If you decide to watch this random acts of kindness video, have your tissues ready.

Looking for more ideas about how to spread kindness? These ideas are from my book, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time. This National Bestseller is filled with true stories about how one small deed can make a world of difference. “Elegant and wise” (Deepak Chopra). “The most uplifting and life-affirming book in years” (Forbes). Learn more about HumanKind.

Seer Interactive has a display of thank you cards in their office lobby. Any employee or visitor can take a card and a postage stamp. As founder Wil Reynolds said when he was giving my class a tour of his office, “We want everyone to be able to send a thank you note anytime. If your grandma did something for you, your parent or a client or co-worker – pick up a note and send that card.” Putting up a rack of cards doesn’t create a workplace culture of kindness on its own, `but it’s a great start and a great idea – for your office and home.
Write letters to strangers who need them. More Love Letters has a list of people who could benefit from letters of encouragement. Each person has been added to the web site by a friend or family member. Read the stories and take five minutes to make someone’s day.
Send cards to lonely seniors. As a tribute to his grandfather, 13-year-old Jacob Cramer started Love for Our Elders, which has grown over the years into a nonprofit with over 55,000 volunteers who have sent letters to seniors in 27 countries. This page explains how you can send a postal letter.
There are so many ways to make people feel great by sending letters:
Send a crazy letter or postcard to make someone laugh.My nieces love mail so much, that my wife and I try to regularly send them postcards, stickers and anything we find for that matter, and it makes their day.
Send a letter just to “let you know how much I care about you.” How wonderful would it be to get that?
Cut out an article and send it to someone. “I thought about you when I saw this…” or “this reminds me of…” My grandmother always did this, and it made me feel great. We receive so few letters, that there’s something magical about postal mail (but texts are also an excellent option). For other ideas from my grandma see: Grandma’s Great Advice on Sex, How to Be a Better Person, The Perils of Tight Underwear and more.
Take a cute photo of someone you love and share it with them.
Think of the amazing people in your life. Take an hour to write those people a letter telling them why they’re awesome. Or take five minutes to write a letter to just one of them.
Karema, one of my students, has a letter she carries around with her every day. She told me a teacher gave it to her a couple years ago, and it reminds her that she’s appreciated. Do you have a note or letter that you’ve saved because it made you feel seen, appreciated, special?

Why not give someone that gift? We can take ten minutes to write a note of appreciation and make someone’s day. We can give them something they might hold onto forever!
Even easier and quicker than sending letters is texting. You could text someone just to tell them something you appreciate about him. I received a random text like this from a relative. It made me feel awesome. Or, simply text/email a joke — here’s a hilarious one minute read you could send.
Do you know someone who could use a lift? Add them to the More Love Letters list, so they can get letters of encouragement.
Join the bone marrow registry. Certain types of patients with blood cancers can only survive if doctors find a bone marrow match for a transplant. A friend of ours survived, because he found a match – his kids have their dad because of a bone marrow match. There are thousands of people who can live, if they find a match.
Here’s how it works — you send in a swab from your mouth. Then you’re added to the bone marrow registry. If you’re lucky enough to be a match, you have the option to save a life by donating bone marrow from your blood. You’re usually sore for a day or two afterwards. Of course, you have the long-term side effect of knowing that you saved a life. Get info here.
Keep an extra umbrella at work, so you can lend it out when it rains.
If you’re a business, leverage what you do every day to do good and perform acts of kindness. Here are some examples . . .
Plaza Cleaners in Portland, OR posted the above sign.

Rotation Records in Norristown, PA heard about an 11-year old battling Cancer whose dream is to be a singer. They offered her an opportunity to have a recording session and red carpet party at their studios, which was a huge hit.

Dentists in our area provide free service to kids who can’t afford dental care.
Sometimes we shy away from people when we know they’re having a rough time. We think it might be awkward or maybe we assume we should wait for them to approach us, so we’re not intruding.
Instead, simply let them know that you’re thinking about them. “I’m just reaching out to let you know that I’m thinking about you,” is a wonderful way to demonstrate that you care. You’re not asking them to talk, so if they don’t want to have a conversation, they won’t feel any pressure. On the other hand, if they do want to talk, they have an opening.

When I wrote HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act at a Time, I interviewed hundreds of people going through a difficult time, and every person said that being seen mattered. Many of these people didn’t want to talk about their challenges. Being seen was getting a text, or a note or something that let the person know someone was thinking about them. (I used to work in advertising and we did a lot of market research. I can’t remember a single time that everyone we interviewed agreed on something, so I think “being seen” is significant.)
Listen. Don’t interrupt. Something I learned from my wife is that people don’t always want us to suggest a solution. Sometimes they just want us to listen. We underestimate how important and comforting it is to be listened to.
Do something special that you know your significant other will appreciate – like when my dad used to wake up early to scrape the ice off my mom’s car. Or, when my wife surprised me with cookies from a favorite bakery. These small acts of kindness matter. For more related to the little things, see How a Frosty Strengthened My Marriage.
When you see something good, share it. Tim, a friend who teaches, said that when his students are doing really well he calls their parents. Tim teaches at an alternative school where parents usually receive calls from the school when their children are in trouble. Tim said he likes to make sure he also calls with good news. How great for the kids and their parents. Keep an eye out for the positive and share it with parents, spouses, friends and so on. These are simple and meaningful acts of kindness.
Be sure to also share in a work setting. When you get great service tell the person who helped you. Then, tell a manager. Go to the corporate web site and submit an email.
Write a positive online review of a business you like. It makes a difference. Our mason and electrician said that over 50% of their business comes from online reviews.

And, don’t forget to point out those people at your work who do a great job.
Be kind to yourself. Every day write down 3 to 5 things for which you’re grateful. I do this every night with a simple email to myself. By the way, research has shown that this increases happiness 25%. This doesn’t mean you’ll be in a land of rainbows and unicorns, but you will be happier than you’d otherwise be.
We can be really tough on ourselves. I find it helpful to ask myself, “What would I say to a friend,” if my friend had done what I’m beating myself up over? Like many people, I treat myself worse than I’d treat a friend, so this framework helps me lighten up.
When people are gossiping about someone, be the person to chime in with something nice.
Encourage someone to pursue her dreams, and help her achieve her goals. If failure has her down, use these 23 famous failures that resulted in success as inspiration for her or this poem – Don’t be Afraid to Fail.
Say, “Yes” to someone. 15-year-old Jack Andraka received 199 rejections before a lab finally agreed to allow him to do research there. Jack Andraka wound up developing a breakthrough cancer test 100 times more sensitive and 26,000 times less expensive than existing tests.
Donate your stuff. Instead of saving things in case you need them in 10 years, consider giving stuff to someone who needs it now. Here is a list of where to donate clothes, furniture, old phones, inkjet cartridges, children’s clothes and books, appliances, electronics, cars, eyeglasses and more. Some of these nonprofits will even pick up items at your house.
Through Give Back Box you can pack up clothes, household items, games or other items you no longer need, and Give Back Box provides a prepaid shipping label so you can ship the items to Goodwill at no charge. This can be done from any state in the US. (Goodwill is a nonprofit that provides job training and jobs.)
When you’re volunteering keep the little things in mind. Some students from Spark the Wave were volunteering at a coat drive. In addition to giving out the coats, they put kind and encouraging notes inside the pockets. Other kids decorated the lids on cans of food they donated to a food pantry. The human touches in these random acts of kindness make a difference.
Our neighbors noticed that we had a lot going on and could use a distraction.So our neighbors put this bag in our mailbox.

A small act of kindness (like a little gift) at the time you need it can make a huge difference. Simple and appreciated!
Give someone the benefit of the doubt.
Everyone is important. Learn the names of your office security guard, the person at the front desk and other people you see every day. Greet them by name. Also say “hello” to strangers and smile. These acts of kindness are so easy, and they almost always make people smile.
“All but one nursing school quiz question was easy: ‘What’s the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’ Surely this was a joke. I had seen the woman several times, but how would I know her name? A student asked if the question counted. ‘Absolutely,’ the professor said. ‘In your careers, you’ll meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.’ I never forgot that lesson, and learned her name was Dorothy.—Joan J. (From the book HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time, Page 83.)
During the holiday season, buy gifts for kids who might not otherwise receive presents. These programs make it easy: Angel Tree Program (you’ll need to check with your local Salvation Army to see if they have an Angel Tree program), Toys for Tots, and One Simple Wish.
This article is an inspiring read about how the Angel Tree Program started and how a guitar gifted through the program had a ripple effect changing thousands of kids’ lives.
Contribute a small sum of money to grant a wish of a foster youth. One Simple Wish has an online directory of requests that case workers submit for their foster youth. The wishes are often the simple things – money to go to prom, dance lessons, money to pay for being on the school cheerleading squad, to name a few.
Follow-up. My friend Mary received tremendous support when she was diagnosed with cancer. She said the support tapered down while she went through her lengthy treatment. Mary’s experience changed her perspective. Now, when someone she knows has cancer, Mary finds reasons to send a note or reach out every few weeks.
I recently heard the same thing from a friend who is going through a divorce. He said it felt like everyone forgot about him a month later, even though it was still tough.

I felt guilty hearing these statements, because I hadn’t been good about long-term follow-up opportunities, but now I’ll do better.

Let’s remember to reach out months after a trauma (disease, divorce, death, etc.). My friends said that an occasional friendly note made a big difference—even if the person sending it wasn’t a close friend.
Get an email address for your kids and send them memories, achievements, awards, etc. Give them the address at 18.
Check in with someone. Recently an acquaintance emailed to see how I was doing. She said she hadn’t seen a blog post in a while and wanted to say “hi.” Although it was simply business that kept me from posting, her outreach was touching.
Pay for someone’s dinner…
Photo of the note given to the England family (Photo source: Ashley England)

I read about a family out to dinner with a special needs child. The kid was having a rough time and the waitress brought over a note that said “God only gives special children to special people” from a mystery guest who paid for the family’s meal.

The child is non-verbal and has had 3 major brain surgeries for epilepsy.

The boy’s mom, Ashley England, told WBTV, “To have someone do that small act towards us shows that some people absolutely understand what we are going through and how hard it is to face the public sometimes,” she said. “They made me cry, blessed me more than they know – I felt like out of all the rude negative comments that we are faced with – this outweighs them. The people who care!”
Loan money to a U.S. or developing world entrepreneur through Kiva. You can donate as little as $25, which goes to entrepreneurs who otherwise wouldn’t get funded. Sustainable businesses are the result, leading to jobs and self-sufficiency. And, you can reinvest, because 96.4% of the loans are repaid.
There isn’t enough work for the military personnel who return home, so many of them survive on odd jobs. What do you need done around your house? Post your odd jobs on Hire Patriots and give back to those who have given so much. You might also want to check out Support our Troops – Over a Dozen Ways to Thank Our Troops and 10 Incredible Entrepreneurs Serving Veterans, How they Got Started, and How You can Help.
Offer a ride. Many veterans don’t have transportation to and from their medical appointments at VA Hospitals. You can volunteer as a van driver for Disabled American Veterans.
Support families who have a member deployed. Let them know that you recognize their sacrifice, and ask how you can help. For example, mowing their lawn or babysitting. A great resource is Operation Homefront, which provides financial and emotional support to veterans’ families.
Soldiers’ Angels provide support to military families through three services: Comforting the loved ones left behind when a soldier dies in battle, providing handmade gifts and virtual baby showers, and holiday adoption program to support a family’s holiday needs.
On Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day, go to your local memorial or event and pass out mini flags or flowers to Veterans. Keep in mind that Memorial Day is to remember those who died. Sometimes people get confused and wish people a “Happy Memorial Day.” Or someone might write “Have a great Memorial Day weekend” in a company email. For those who served, it isn’t great.
For more ideas to say, “Thank you veterans” – and random acts of kindness for veterans, here’s a list of 22 ways to support our troops.
When a friend makes a meal that you love, ask for the recipe.
Teach someone. We can all teach something, and sometimes the small things make the biggest difference. Olympic gold medalist, professional baseball player and bestselling author Jim Abbott recalls that his third grade teacher showing him how to tie his shoes was one of the biggest inspirations of his life.
Post positive notes.

At the center where I teach, someone posted positive notes in unexpected places – like the one above, which was at the water cooler. Everyone loved the signs and it led to a barrage of thank you emails to the entire school, just so people could thank the anonymous poster.
Invite someone to dinner – especially at the holidays, when it’s difficult for some people to be alone.
If you’re upset, take a deep breath and count to 10 (or perhaps 15) before you say anything. Ask yourself if what you’re going to say will be helpful. Pausing will reduce the likelihood you’ll say something you’ll regret. Remind yourself that a positive mindset is a choice you can make.
Make a helpful introduction.
Call your parents. Hi Mom and Dad!
Wendy McDonald paints small rocks and puts an inspirational word on them. If someone needs a boost she hands the rock to them. As Wendy says, “fun for me and rewarding!” A personal touch to cheer someone up and let them know you’re thinking of them. (Wendy, thanks for sharing your random acts of kindness.)
Buy a small gift for someone. Just because.
Share a great book you’ve read.(I recently finished and loved, Conor Grennan’s book,Little Princes, One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal.)
Don’t ignore the next homeless person you see. I’ve often heard from people who are homeless that passersby avert their eyes and try not to look at them. It’s devastating, but I’ve been told that a simple “hello” can make all the difference. If you want to do more, bring them food or carry around a care package of food or toiletries that you can give to a homeless person.
Let another car merge in front of you, or stop to let a pedestrian cross the street.
Hold the elevator. Sometimes, when I hope the elevator will shut before someone else comes and slows me down, I think, “Am I really in that much of a rush that an extra minute will hurt me?”
If you print an Internet coupon before going to a store, print a few extras to give to other customers.
In five minutes you can sign up to become an organ donor. Then, when you die (we all do eventually), your organs can be used to save lives. One person’s organs can save up to 8 lives. If you want to know more, the Mayo Clinic wrote an excellent article answering frequently asked questions about organ donation.
If you see someone who looks lost and might need help with directions, don’t wait for him to ask you for help.
Bring in food or snacks for your office mates.
Photograph tourists. See a person or a couple trying to take a photo of themselves? Offer to take it for them.
Stop at a kid’s lemonade stand and buy a drink. Always.
Leave a big tip.
Call someone you love. Tell him you love him.
Allow someone to help you. Let her enjoy performing an act of kindness.
Donate a small sum of money to a charity you love. Don’t think a small donation can make a huge difference? Read how Hilde Back’s donation of $45 a year changed the lives of over 900 families.
Spend a few minutes on Free Rice, a United Nations Food Program that will donate rice to hungry people for every question you get right on their learning web site. You can learn vocabulary, French, Chemistry and even answer SAT prep questions. This is made possible through the corporate sponsors you’ll see on the bottom of the pages. Free Rice has fed millions of people since its 2007 launch.
Plant a tree while you search the web. If you search the web using Ecosia, the search ads generate money for Ecosia. Ecosia uses this income to plant trees in Africa, bringing water, plants and animals back to drought-ridden areas. The revived land means more jobs, healthier livestock and more independent people. A stronger local economy allows both women and men to earn their own income, meaning more children can go to school. Ecosia currently funds planting a tree every 13 seconds. So far they’ve planted over 3 million trees. The search engine is powered by Bing.
Write a love note and hide it in a magazine your partner is reading or somewhere else he/she will find it.
Use the idle time on your computer to cure diseases, study global warming and power many other research projects. Your computing power will be donated through BOINC, a project of the University of California supported by the National Science Foundation.
When you want to help someone, ask: “How can I help?” and also suggest specific ways you can help. People are less likely to come up with a way for you to help if you’re too general. For example, if someone just had a baby, you could say, “I’d really like to do something for you. Can I drop off groceries, babysit your older child or cook dinner this week?” If they say “no thanks,” you can ask if there’s something else they’d appreciate.
Use Goodsearch to search the internet, play games or answer survey questions. The for profit company donates a portion of all advertising revenue to charity (50% of revenue or 1 cent for each search).
Carry around a $5 gift card so you can give it to someone who does something awesome. Or, create and carry “thanks for making my day” cards that you can give to people.
Help make audio books available to anyone who wants them. LibriVox helps you find books in the public domain that you can read out loud, record and make accessible to people who want them.

Random acts of kindness for kids:

Involve your kids in community service. Donna mentioned in the comments below that she takes her son to pass out food to people who need it.
I read about a teacher who got her first graders involved in random acts of kindness by having her class collectively perform 100 random acts of kindness over a 2-week period. The class recorded each act on a small heart and organized the hearts into a collage. Perhaps this is a way to get your kids excited about acts of kindness and introduce your kids to the warm feeling from doing good.
During the holidays my cousin takes her children to a store to pick out and buy a gift for a child who might not get many gifts. This year, instead of getting 8 gifts for Hanukkah, her kids got 7 and the 8th gift was one they picked out for someone else. Toys for Tots is a great recipient of these acts of kindness.
You could also participate together in many of the other ideas listed earlier in this post. If you’re interested, here’s a link to Random Acts of Kindness for Kids–24 ideas for raising grateful and kind kids.

Seek out an opportunity to help every day. Hold open a door, offer assistance, help someone trying to get a stroller down the steps or perform any random acts of kindness that move you. Every small interaction with someone is an opportunity to have a positive impact on both of your lives.

If you begin every day by telling yourself that you’ll find a way to make someone’s day, you will succeed. When you look, you’ll find opportunities to perform random acts of kindness and planned acts of kindness. When you take those opportunities, you’ll feel great.

Give yourself the gift of feeling good! My book, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time, has true stories about those moments when a small act of kindness changes a life or has a ripple effect changing thousands of lives. The book’s resources section contains dozens of practical kindness ideas. Learn more about the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller HumanKind.

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Playing Secret Santa this Year? Meet the Guy Who Started it All

Brad Aronson — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 11:34:20 +0000

This story is from the book, HumanKind.

When Larry Steward was growing up in his grandparents’ home in a small Mississippi town, he didn’t know they were impoverished. It wasn’t until he started school that he learned what he “lacked”—the bathrooms, telephones, hot water and gas stoves to be found in other kids’ homes.

As a young adult, Larry confronted poverty again. Living paycheck to paycheck, he became homeless when his employer went out of business owing Larry more than one check. So Larry resorted to living in his car, covering himself in his laundry in an effort to stay warm and hoping to forget his hunger. By the time he’d gone two days without a regular meal, he was so desperate that he went to the Dixie Diner and ordered breakfast without knowing how he’d pay for it.

When he finished eating, he started looking around on the floor, pretending he’d lost his wallet. The cook even came out from behind the counter and helped him look.

Then, suddenly, the search was over.

“You must have dropped this,” the cook said. He was holding a twenty-dollar bill.

Larry was so grateful that he made a vow to himself: as soon as he was able, he’d do something for others like what the cook had done for him. Over time, he became financially stable, and he set out to keep his vow. Although he wasn’t well off by any means, he knew he couldn’t put off getting started.

One evening, he stopped at a drive-in restaurant and noticed that the waitress was wearing a tattered coat that couldn’t have been keeping her warm. When he handed her money to pay for his food, he knew it was the moment.

“Keep the change,” he said.

Tears welled in the waitress’s eyes, and her hands shook as she held the money. “You have no idea what this means to me,” she said, her voice shaking, too.

But Larry did have an idea what it meant to her.

Afterward, he was so inspired by what had happened that he started driving around looking for people who needed help. They weren’t hard to find, and he gave away $200 in fives and tens.

The more successful Larry became, the more money he gave away. By the time he’d earned considerable wealth in cable and phone services in Kansas City, Missouri, he was anonymously giving away substantial amounts as a “Secret Santa.” He consulted with local social workers, firefighters, and police officers to find needy and deserving recipients. He also found some of them on his own, at laundromats, social service agencies, government housing facilities, and businesses that paid minimum wage. At thrift stores, he often found people who were raising their grandchildren. When he would give them anywhere from $100 to $300, it would change the whole complexion of their Christmas as well as their outlook. For many of them, this money made it possible to buy presents and cover necessities like utility bills.

Larry didn’t want people to have to beg, get in line or apply for money. “I was giving in a way that allowed them to keep their dignity,” he said in an interview with a local news station years later. Just like the cook at the Dixie Diner had done for him.

All told, Larry gave away more than $1.4 million over the years. There are many stories from people whose homes he saved. People who told their families there wasn’t going to be a Christmas but wound up being able to buy gifts because of the money Secret Santa gave them. People who were able to pay their bills and get their gas turned back on, thanks to Larry.

In 2006, after serving as an anonymous Santa for more than twenty years, Larry was diagnosed with terminal cancer. At that point, he decided to go public because a tabloid newspaper was about to reveal his identity. Larry thought he should be the one to tell his story, hoping it would recruit more Santas to take his place. He’d seen that every time a Secret Santa was written about in the media, the coverage was followed by a wave of new Secret Santa appearances. He hoped making his identity public would continue to add to the ranks.

Larry got his wish. Thousands of people visited his website and signed up to become Secret Santas. And based on the number of people who emailed the site about their experiences that Christmas season, the new Secret Santas did more than sign up; they also turned out in force.

When Larry died in 2007, his handpicked successor—an anonymous Kansas City businessman—took over for him and continues to lead the Society of Secret Santas today. Its members follow in Larry’s footsteps around the world. The postings on the society’s website tell of giving money to victims of fires, people who had been evicted from their homes, and veterans and military families in need. They tell of former NFL player Dick Butkus handing out hundred-dollar bills in San Diego and former Major League Baseball player Luis Gonzalez doing the same in Phoenix.

A foundation was also formed in Larry’s honor to accept donations to be used by the Santas. The first donation was from former Kansas City parking attendant Sam Williams, who wanted to make a small gift in memory of the man who’d given him a hundred-dollar bill a few years before. “He gave me the biggest gift I ever got in my life,” Williams told KMBC News.

Larry gave Secret Santas everywhere a gift, too. As the society’s website says, “The compassion shared from one spontaneous random act of kindness is elevating, priceless and not easily explained. It is an instant connection between souls that can change a life forever. Being a Secret Santa has blessings beyond words.”

What’s more, it’s a gift anybody can give. “It’s not about the man, it’s not about the money—it’s about the message,” says a Secret Santa. “Anyone can be a Secret Santa with a kind word, a gesture, a helping hand.

And what impact that gesture may have is anybody’s guess. “You never know what one little act of kindness will do for somebody,” as Larry told Ted Horn, chef-owner of the Dixie Diner, when he tracked him down twenty-eight years after their first meeting. “It can change their whole life…It changed mine.”

This story is from the book, Humankind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time, a National Bestseller filled with true stories about how one small deed can make a world of difference.

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Great Gifts and Great Meals that Support Talented Young Business Owners

320admin — Sat, 19 Dec 2020 20:50:51 +0000

Why not end 2020 with a great gift or a great meal that supports the entrepreneurial dreams of these talented young business people? I’m biased, but I love these entrepreneurs from Camden, N.J. and Philadelphia. They’re all students in our Hopeworks entrepreneurship class, so I’m fortunate to regularly be inspired by how hard they’ve pushed to keep their ventures moving forward in a very difficult business environment. Check out these Hopeworks entrepreneurs and get yourself some great food and gifts…

Kyla Evans

Kyla Evans has been writing as long as she can remember. Growing up, she struggled to communicate her feelings, and writing turned out to be her best outlet. Her dream was to become a published author, which she recently accomplished—at the age of twenty-one! You can’t go wrong with Bleeding Heart, a book of poetry book about Kyla’s life and experiences. She’s made it through a lot of challenges and trauma, and her poetry addresses it powerfully and eloquently. You can buy her book on Amazon or buy it direct by emailing her. (You’ll save $3 if you buy direct, and she earns more money.) Her second book of poetry, Healing Humans, is also out as a perfect follow up to Bleeding Heart.

Brandon Rodriguez

When storms devastated Puerto Rico, Brandon Rodriguez wanted to give back, so he created artwork that celebrates his Puerto Rican heritage and donates 10 percent of the proceeds to nonprofits in Puerto Rico. Check out Brandon’s pins, artwork and stickers.

Brandon is using the money he earns to pay for tuition at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Charlene Newbill

Charlene Newbill always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, but was afraid of failure. After months of hesitation, though, Charlene finally started Young Saved and Unashamed to allow people to show their love for Jesus. You can buy shirts, hoodies and merchandise here.

“Along the way I began to get a little discouraged,” Charlene says, “but with the help of God and the support of my class, I can proudly say I am officially a business owner of YSU Christian Apparel!”

B’niya Huffman

When she was in high school, B’niya Huffman wanted nice clothes, but her family couldn’t afford them. So, she watched hours of YouTube videos and taught herself to sew. She started with clothes for herself, and then friends started hiring her to make clothes for them. After finishing high school, B’niya attended and graduated from Howard University with a degree in fashion design. She now sells affordable custom jackets, pants, dresses and clothing. She has capacity for three more orders in time for the holidays. For more information, please email B’niya.

Kayla and Kyla Evans

Evans Eatery is the place to get home cooked meals and party trays delivered to your house, and they even have a Christmas dinner special right now.

Twins Kyla and Kayla are great cooks and their passion has become a business. They cooked for their friends, who loved their food, and now the Evans sisters cook and deliver food to steady customers. Get a single serving or a platter to feed your family. If you live in the Philadelphia/Camden area, reserve your Christmas platters now. It’s delicious food at a reasonable price, and they deliver. For more information please email Kyla.

Sekinah Brodie

Like many of our entrepreneurs, Sekinah Brodie has found creating to be an excellent way to help during hard times. Sekinah’s a writer and designer and her store features products centered on mental health advocacy. She designed the broad range of products in her store, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, phone cases, bags, stickers, face masks and hoodies. It’s pretty cool, and she’s donating a portion of proceeds to a suicide prevention organization.

Adriana Amador-Chacon

Adriana Amador-Chacon, known as Bronte, has prints, stickers and clothing that are too cool to miss. Adriana describes painting as one of her greatest allies, inspiring her to overcome hardships and motivating her to persist.

Adriana is passionate about the environment and some of her proceeds go toward the World Wide Fund for Nature and Greenpeace International. Check out prints, stickers, phone covers and other products at her online store. See original paintings that are for sale on her web site.

Azaris Melendez

Azaris Melendez often talks about how lucky he is to have turned his Dungeons and Dragons passion into a business. After years of playing the game, he now runs D&D camps and clubs. If you’re looking for an adventure for your kids this winter break, Azaris is hosting a virtual D&D camp from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time December 28 through January 1. My son, Jack, is eleven and has been a member of Azaris’s camp and clubs for the past year, and he says Azaris is the best dungeon master he’s ever played with—and Jack’s friends agree. Contact Azaris for more info.

Thanks for supporting our entrepreneurs!

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Halloween Candy for Heroes! — Donate Your Extra Halloween Candy

Brad Aronson — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 01:42:51 +0000

If you’re like our family, your kids won’t need all the Halloween candy they’ll receive. You also won’t need the leftovers you have from buying more candy than you’ll be able to pass out.

A great use of that Halloween candy is to donate it for care packages that get sent to our troops, wounded veterans and other first responders! You can thank our troops, make someone’s day, share your candy and even get a tax deduction. You only need to bring your candy to your local drop off location.

Listed below are some great organizations collecting candy.

Ways you can help:

Donate leftover candy (but please don’t include pixy stix or powdery candy – they don’t ship well). Here are places that will accept your candy:
You can find a Soldiers’ Angels drop off near you. Soldiers’ Angels distributes the candy to deployed troops, veterans, and wounded veterans in VA Hospitals. They have sent over one million care packages. You can register to become a collection site here. Please note that collection sites are responsible for covering the mailing expense to get the collected candy to Soldiers’ Angels.
You can ship your excess candy to Troopathon, a nonprofit that provides care packages and letters to U.S. troops deployed around the world. You can also send Troopathon letters for troops, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Their mailing address is:
“Halloween Candy Buyback”
Troopathon
3105 Fite Circle Suite 108
Sacramento, CA 95827
You can also ship your excess candy and letters for troops to Operation Shoebox, a nonprofit that sends care packages to U.S. troops. They accept candy and letters year-round.
Operation Shoebox
8360 East Highway 25
Belleview, FL 34420

Looking for more ideas about how to spread kindness? Check out, HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time. This National Bestseller is filled with true stories about how one small deed can make a world of difference and dozens of ways we can all have an impact. “Elegant and wise” (Deepak Chopra). “The most uplifting and life-affirming book in years” (Forbes). Learn more about HumanKind.

You can even take a deduction for the value of your candy on your taxes.

What a nice way to say, “Thank You Veterans” and to support our troops.

Happy Halloween!

Related Stories

Here’s another Halloween Act of Kindness. This one with a teal pumpkin. You can also learn about how blue halloween buckets are helping children with autism.

Here are 103 Random Acts of Kindness that will make you an everyday hero.

“Operation Gratitude: Thank you very much for your continued love and support. I am reminded that I am not forgotten!!” – SSG A.A.

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Positivity — 3 Scientifically Proven Ways to be Happier

Brad Aronson — Fri, 20 May 2016 15:10:02 +0000

Until recently, I had no idea that you could fairly easily teach your brain to be happier. As most of us could have guessed, researchers have found that positivity (having a positive outlook) makes us happier. I didn’t know that positivity is also proven to make people more successful.

Luckily for us, there are simple, proven ways researchers have found for us (even pessimists) to be happier by training our brains to think more positively.

Let’s start with a quick exercise . . .

Do one quick scan of the room you’re in and look at everything that’s red. When you’re done, scroll down to continue reading…
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What did you see that was blue?

Perhaps you don’t remember the blue things that well. Most people don’t.

It’s because we see what we look for.

Ever notice how your pessimistic friends always notice what’s wrong and what will be difficult? On the other hand, your optimistic friends – even when they’re in the same situation as a pessimist — see opportunities?

There are enormous opportunities when we understand that we find what we look for.

Do you want to be annoyed by the little thing someone does or see the positive in their effort? Do you want to be depressed at the problems in the world or inspired by the heroes tackling them and the acts of kindness that are happening all around us?

Research shows that we’re happier and more open to possibilities when we see the positive (see research notes at end of this article – it’s amazing how much positivity, having a more positive outlook, can impact our lives).

Luckily for us, we’re not locked into our current way of viewing the world. If we want, we can actually influence how we see things to see more positive.

Here are three steps we can take that, among other benefits, teaches our brains to start looking for the positive more often. Over time, our brains will learn to look for the positive and start looking for the positive without our prodding. By the way, the research backing up these three suggestions is summarized at the end of the article.

Give compliments.
You know the person you see doing a great job busing tables? The admin who can juggle way more than seems humanly possible? The store clerk who has a great attitude? Tell them. You know the kid who is exceptionally well behaved? Tell her parents. In general there are too few compliments going around. Complimenting is an easy way for you to make someone’s day (and help shape how you view the world).

One simple way to ensure you give at least on compliment a day — When you open your inbox for the first time of the day, write a short email or text (one paragraph max) praising someone.
Keep a gratitude journal.
Every night, write down three things for which you’re grateful. This can be as easy as sending a nightly email to yourself.
Perform a daily act of kindness.
As you perform random acts of kindness you start noticing opportunities to be kind, which feeds into positivity. Acts of kindness can range from calling a friend, to writing a card, to holding open the door. Here are 102 Random Acts of Kindness to get you started.

Training your brain for positivity takes time, but what an opportunity.

And, how awesome that helping others can have such a great benefit to ourselves.

If you’re interested, here is some of the research related to positivity:

Benefit of positive thinking: In an interview with the Harvard Business Review, Shawn Achor, author of The Happiness Advantage, highlights studies showing how positivity allows us to perform better. The studies showed that MDs who are put in a positive mood before meeting with patients diagnose problems 50% faster with 3 times more intellectual flexibility, test takers perform better when they’re positive instead of negative and even 4-year-olds asked to put blocks together will be 50% faster if they are slightly primed to be positive compared to neutral 4-year-olds.

Benefits of acts of kindness: Psychologist Michael Steger performed a study showing that kind acts lead to happiness. Here is a link to an article in LiveScience discussing Steger’s research.

The benefits of gratitude journals: are discussed in this article about research performed by Dr. Robert A. Emmons and Michael McCullough. People who keep gratitude journals were 25% happier.

Note: I got the idea for the exercise to look around the room from a post by Dave Frees at Success Technologies.

If you enjoyed this content about positivity, please consider clicking this link and liking my Facebook page. You’ll get inspirational stories, good news and a focus on the positive. (About one post a week.) And, you’ll also make yourself happier by doing something nice : – ) Thank you!

If you’re interested in further reading, here are 46 ways to be happier.

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Commas save lives . . .

Brad Aronson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:27:39 +0000

Laughed at this sign in English class at back to school night.

Want more reasons to smile in your Facebook feed? Then, please follow me on Facebook.

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Walmart Employees to the Rescue When Nail Salon Refuses Woman

320admin — Thu, 09 Aug 2018 15:32:03 +0000

While shopping at Walmart, Angela Peters shared with employee Ebony Harris that she was turned down for a manicure earlier that day. Angela has Cerebral Palsy, which makes her hands shake. The nail salon told Angela that she shook too much, so they wouldn’t do her nails.

A group of Walmart employees decided that wasn’t right. So they got together, bought Angela nail polish, and then Ebony painted Angela’s nails at the Walmart Subway.

“She moved her hands a little bit and she kept saying she was sorry. And, I told her ‘Don’t say that. You’re fine.’” Harris told ABC News.

“I just wanted to make her day special. I didn’t really want her day to be ruined. That’s why I did it. And plus, she’s a sweetie.”

“I’m a spiritual person. I’m not perfect. I have my flaws. I have my own issues. But my heart goes out to people who are in need. And to actually sit and talk to Angela and she recognizes what is wrong with her. She accepts it. She told me it could be worse. I told her she is a blessing to me and many others, and I pray every day that I am a blessing to someone else as well as to me. The blessing I got out of it was to see her smile. All I wanted to do was make her day better,” Ebnoy said on WCRZ Radio.

Ebony also hopes that maybe she can help, “Spread awareness that no matter the person, who they are, what color they are, disability, whatever, they’re people too. She’s a girly girl. She’s just like you, me, Tasia, my daughter, anybody. She wants to look pretty, you know, and so why can’t she?”

If you’d like good news in your Facebook feed, please follow me on Facebook.

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Famous Failures: 23 Stories to Inspire You to Succeed

Brad Aronson — Thu, 28 May 2015 09:49:42 +0000

Don’t be afraid to fail. In fact, failures often lead to success. Take inspiration from both the famous failures and the lesser known failures below. All of these failures were followed by perseverance and enormous successes.

I originally compiled this list of famous failures for my entrepreneurship class. The class curriculum consists of each student starting a businesses. These famous failures were meant to give the class some comfort about failures related to their businesses and the challenges they faced as teenagers.

I hope you also find these famous failures helpful.

When he was 15, Jack Andraka had a crazy idea. He would create a diagnostic test for Pancreatic Cancer that was better than the tests developed by scientists, research labs and billion dollar pharmaceutical companies.

Jack wrote a proposal to develop a better test. 199 research labs rejected him. I’ll repeat that — 199 labs REJECTED him. Good thing he didn’t give up and good thing a lab finally said “Yes”. The 200th research lab — at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore — accepted him. At the lab Jack Andraka developed a Pancreatic Cancer test 100 times better and 26,000 times less expensive than the current test. Jack’s invention will save tens of thousands of lives.

More of Jack Andraka’s story, as well as dozens of other inspiring stories about when a small act (in Jack’s case a “yes”) transforms a life, can be found in the national bestseller HumanKind: Changing the World One Small Act At a Time. “The most uplifting and life-affirming book in years.”—Forbes. Check out HumanKind.

“Michael Jordan” by mccarmona23 is licensed with CC BY 2.0.

Michael Jordan, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, was devastated when he was cut from his high school varsity basketball team sophomore year. Good thing failure only inspired him to work harder.

Here’s what he said about failure:
“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Attribution: Matthew Yohe at en.wikipedia

Steve Jobs was fired from the company he founded – Apple. He also failed with NeXT computer company and the Lisa computer. When Jobs returned to Apple, he led the business to become the most profitable company in the US.

Elizabeth Blackwell was rejected from 29 medical schools. So, she went to visit the schools in person. She was told she should pretend to be a man, because women weren’t fit to receive medical schooling.

She refused.

Blackwell was accepted by mistake by Hobart College (then Geneva Medical College), and she matriculated. Many MD’s refused to work with her, but she persevered and graduated.

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the U.S. (1849). She then built a medical practice, created a place where women could have medical internships (since many healthcare facilities didn’t welcome women), served impoverished families, and established the first medical college for women.

This work is from the Harris & Ewing collection at the Library of Congress.

Walt Disney forged his birth certificate, so he would appear old enough to join the army during World War II. Joining the military was a way for him to escape a bad family life. After the military, he was laid off from his job at an ad agency. Walt’s first animation studio went bankrupt. When he finally developed a hit character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, he lost all rights to his creation due to a poorly constructed contract with Universal. None of those stopped him. Walt went on to co-found The Walt Disney Company, which had $50.1 billion in 2017 revenue.

Walt said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all the troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

Photo by Giuseppe Milo (www.pixael.com)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, wasn’t supposed to be leaning, but if it were straight it probably wouldn’t be such a popular tourist attraction.

Photo by Gage Skidmore

Steven Spielberg was rejected both times he applied to attend film school at University of Southern California (USC). That didn’t stop him. Spielberg has grossed $8.5 billion from films he directed.

Oh, and after Spielberg became famous, USC awarded him an honorary degree, and Spielberg later became a trustee of the university.

Photo by Wally Gobetz

Charles Schultz’s drawings were rejected by his high school yearbook. Schultz went on to create Peanuts (featuring Snoopy and Charlie Brown). The cartoon and licensing/product revenue from Peanuts generated over $1 billion a year. The high school eventually put a statue of snoopy in the main office.

Want more positivity and inspiration? Check out my National Bestseller, HumanKind, which is filled with true stories about how one small deed can make a world of difference. “Elegant and wise” (Deepak Chopra). “The most uplifting and life-affirming book in years” (Forbes). “You’re going to love this book” (NPR). Learn more about HumanKind.

Noord-Hollands Archief / Fotoburo de Boer

The Beatles were rejected by numerous record labels including Decca Records, which said, “guitar groups are on the way out” and “the Beatles have no future in show business.” The Beatles did wind up getting signed by a record label. The Beatles sold more singles in the UK than anyone else, and the Beatles have moved more units in the US (more than 177 million) than any other group.

Photo by Suissrael

Colonel Harland Sanders was a 6th grade dropout. When he was 65, a new interstate highway diverted traffic away from his restaurant leaving Sanders with only his secret fried chicken recipe and a Social Security check. So he began selling his recipe and franchise idea. According to the news, he was rejected over 1,000 times. Then he found a partner with whom he build the KFC franchise powerhouse (over 15,000 restaurants).

Credit: Acme Newspictures

Mary Kay Ash sold books door to door while her husband served in the military. When her husband returned from duty, they divorced. Ash was left with three children at a time when divorce wasn’t acceptable.

Ash was frustrated when passed over for a promotion because she was a woman. So, she and her second husband planned a business, Mary Kay Cosmetics. One month prior to launch her husband died.

With a $5,000 investment from her oldest son, Ash launched her business. Forbes reported 2014 revenue as over $3.5 billion.

Photo by Gage Skidmore

“I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how many times you failed. You only have to be right once. I tried to sell powdered milk. I was an idiot lots of times, and I learned from them all.” Mark Cuban, Billionaire Entrepreneur. Check out these 10 important business lessons from Mark Cuban.

Photo by Alan Light

After only seven and a half months, Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job co-anchoring the 6pm news at Baltimore’s WJZ. Something about not being the right fit.

About another news job Oprah said:
“I once went back … after covering a family that had been burned out and brought them some of my blankets and stuff. And the assistant news director … told me … that if I did that again and they found out about it, I could be fired, because I was involving myself in other people’s stories. Which is true, you’re there to cover the story, not get involved in it…”

Oprah became a media billionaire, hosted the highest ranked TV show of it’s kind in history, and is an incredible philanthropist – getting involved in other people’s stories to help them.

This work is from the New York World-Telegram and Sun collection at the Library of Congress

Elizabeth Arden (real name – Florence Nightingale Graham) dropped out of nursing school. Then her first business failed. She didn’t give up. Instead, she borrowed $6,000 to start her next beauty company, Elizabeth Arden, Inc. Last year Elizabeth Arden, Inc. had over $1 billion in sales.

Photo by Derek Smith

Jack Canfield was rejected 144 times before he found a publisher for his book, Chicken Soup for the Soul. When Jack told the publisher he wanted to sell 1.5 million books in the first 18 months, the publisher laughed and said he’d be lucky to sell 20,000.

That first book sold more than 8 million copies in America and 10 million copies around the world. Canfield’s book brand is now a $1 Billion brand.

Canfield’s advice:
“So the reality is that you just have to say, ‘I’m more committed to my vision than I’m committed to your doubt or my fear,’ and just go for it…” (From Conversations with Top Achievers by Woody Woodward)

Photo by Michiel Hendryckx

It took 5 years and 5,126 failed prototypes for James Dyson to develop the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner. 10 years later Dyson setup his own manufacturing facility, because other manufacturers wouldn’t produce his vacuum. Now he has the best selling vacuum in the world. According to The Sunday Times, in 2017 his net worth was 7.8 Billion Pounds.

Photo by Famartin

Milton Hershey’s chocolate business was his third. The first two went bankrupt. His perseverance led to enormous wealth and philanthropy. Hershey established the Milton Hershey School for at-risk children, and a foundation to provide opportunities to residents of Hershey, PA.

Source Whitehouse [Public Domain]

Speaking at Harvard’s graduation, J.K. Rowling spoke about failures:
“You might never fail on the scale I did,” Rowling told the new graduates. “But it is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.”

When Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book, she was divorced, bankrupt and on welfare.

After a dozen publishers rejected her manuscript one finally agreed to publish it. But the publisher told Rowling that she needed to get a job because there’s no money in children’s books.

She’s now a billionaire.

Photo by Robbie Mendelson

Stan wasn’t able to secure a spot as a ball boy for a Davis Cup tennis match because he was deemed too clumsy and uncoordinated. Smith went on to demonstrate his lack of coordination by winning Wimbledon, U.S. Open and eight Davis Cups.

Source – Vimeo: Glambot – Grammys 2017 by Rogueartists

Lady Gaga was dropped by Def Jam records after only 3 months. She went on to become one of the best selling artists of all time with 6 Grammy Awards and 13 MTV Video Music Awards. She is also an activist donating money and support for natural disaster victims, LGBT rights and vulnerable youth.

Photo by chrisweger

Madonna dropped out of college, moved to NYC and quickly lost jobs at Dunkin Donuts and as a hat check woman at the Russian Tea Room. She wound up supporting herself through $7 per hour nude modeling gigs.

Madonna still pushed for a career as an artist, and she succeeded. She has sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. Madonna is the best-selling female recording artist of all time.

“GoPro CEO Nick Woodman, Allen & Company Conference, Sun Valley, ID, July 2015” by Thomas Hawk

Nick Woodman’s startup, Funbug, was backed with $3.9 million from investors. Funbug failed. The $3.9 million was lost. Woodman was devastated and took an extended surfing trip.

Woodman wanted to take videos while he was surfing. That led to his next idea – cameras that made it easy for people to video while participating in activities.

Woodman and his girlfriend sold shell necklaces out of the trunk of their car to raise money for Nick’s business. They also borrowed money from Woodman’s parents. GoPro launched in 2002, and Forbes estimates Nick’s net worth is now close to $5 billion.

Photo by Peter Bond

Richie Ashburn was chosen to play in the Esquire Game in New York City with other teens who had baseball talent. Richie and his family travelled from their Nebraskan town of 950 people to play. Branch Rickey, who was considered the premiere judge of baseball talent, shook Ashburn’s hand after the game and said, “Son, you should go back and do whatever it was you were going to do before you decided to be a ballplayer.”

One Hall of Fame career later, Ashburn demonstrated that it’s important to persevere. Ashburn did so well that each year the Phillies present the Richie Ashburn Special Achievement Award to “a member of the Phillies organization, and an area at the Phillies’ stadium, is named “Ashburn Alley” in his honor.

Want to be inspired by people whose lives were transformed by a single act of kindness? Check out my book, HumanKind. It’s full of heartwarming, true stories about when a small act of kindness transforms a life or has a ripple effect changing thousands of lives. (And all proceeds go to nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters.)

If you enjoyed this article about famous failures, you should check out this inspiring poem — Don’t be Afraid to Fail. You might also want to check out this great advice about how to achieve your goals faster.

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US Charitable Giving Reaches an All-time High

Brad Aronson — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 15:26:32 +0000

Americans donated more to charity in this past year than in any prior year. $410.02 billion.

The data from Indiana University showed a 5.2% increase in giving in 2017 over 2016 (3% when adjusted for inflation). And, 70% of that giving was from individuals.

“Giving to nearly all categories of charities experienced significant growth, and giving to foundations achieved a double-digit growth rate,” said Una Osili, Ph.D., associate dean for research and international programs at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Even in divisive times, or perhaps more so in divisive times, people care.

The Numbers for 2017 Charitable Giving:

Giving to religion increased 2.9 percent (0.7 percent adjusted for inflation), receiving an estimated $127.37 billion in contributions.
Giving to education is estimated to have increased 6.2 percent (4.0 percent adjusted for inflation) to $58.90 billion.
Giving to human services increased by an estimated 5.1 percent (2.9 percent adjusted for inflation) totaling $50.06 billion.
Giving to foundations is estimated to have increased by 15.5 percent (13.1 percent adjusted for inflation) to $45.89 billion, based on data provided by the Foundation Center.
Giving to health organizations is estimated to have increased by 7.3 percent (5.1 percent adjusted for inflation) to $38.27 billion.
Giving to public-society benefit organizations increased an estimated 7.8 percent (5.5 percent adjusted for inflation) to $29.59 billion.
Giving to arts, culture, and humanities is estimated to have increased 8.7 percent (6.5 percent) to $19.51 billion.
Giving to international affairs is estimated to have declined 4.4 percent (6.4 percent adjusted for inflation) to $22.97 billion.
Giving to environment and animal organizations is estimated to have increased 7.2 percent (5.0 percent adjusted for inflation) to $11.83 billion.

From Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017, a publication of Giving USA Foundation, researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Available online at Giving USA. You can see the data that is available free from the report here. The report was released June of 2018.

The report covers money that has been donated. For those interested in donating your stuff, here’s a directory of where to donate your stuff.

If you’re looking for other ways to give back, here are 103 Random Acts of Kindness ideas.

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