Students from Kindergarten through fifth grade gathered in the library to listen to how Big Karma helped Little Kosmo and Zenni become friends when Zenni had to suddenly be rehomed. Then the students answered questions about how they could help those who were newcomers in their class, school and neighborhood feel more welcome! The students gave great answers like “inviting someone to play at recess”…”inviting someone over to your house to eat” and “sharing your toys”.

The students loved hearing that Mrs. Tawawalla made me and my family feel welcome when we moved to Naperville by being our first friend in our apartment complex!

Thank you so much to everyone at Clow Elementary for such a warm welcome, and for focusing on Kindness with their 2024/25 theme of Kindness is Your Superpower!

Of course, I said “yes”, and last Friday, Utkarsh and I had a delightful conversation about kindness, and how to use the Platinum Rule: Do Unto Others as THEY would have done unto them” to create a kinder, better world.

Before the interview, Utkarsh told me that he always had a dream to have this kind of podcast. An informal setting where he could connect with all kinds of people all over the world, get to know them and have them share their stories, and their dreams, with others.

So, he simply got started!

After the interview (which you can view in this post), Utkarsh asked if I could recommend some others. So, of course, I did!

Because kindness means doing what I can to help others achieve their dreams!

It’s actually quite simple!

Thank you, Utkarsh, for your kindness, and leadership, for working on fulfilling your dream, and for helping me fulfill mine: Activating and helping people to create a kinder, better world!

That’s because our 2024 Theme “Activate Kindness” means that I need you to help me encourage and “activate” others to act, speak and think kindly! To do “random acts of kindness” when the opportunity presents itself…and to plan “deliberate acts of kindness” (like checking in on a friend going through a hard time) each day!

People often tell me that the world needs “more people like you”! People focused on kindness! I always respond that there are 8 billion people on earth just like me! It doesn’t take being special to be kind! It just takes a few minutes of your time, your effort and to open your eyes and ears and look around for someone who needs your help!

Kindness is a great preventative!

It prevents fear, physical and psychological harm, loneliness, arguments, poverty, suffering and even war!

So today, please do an act of kindness! And encourage and activate someone else to do one too!

Thank you for helping get our 2024 Theme off to a great, kind start!!

Wishing you and yours a kind and Happy New Year!

On Thursday, Lucia Sabou, our Eastern Canada Country Director, introduced The Love and Kindness Foundation to the team. She shared Kindness bracelets, a variety of mini-posters and ways to be kind in the community. Team members were encouraged to fill out a star letting people know how they gave back to the community. They were then given a Love and Kindness Bracelet in thanks and entered into a raffle.

Lucie said, “Everyone loved the bracelets, the idea itself and everyone told us how they get involved in their community to help make this world a better place one little kindness at the time.”

Thank you, Lucie, for making and donating the Love and Kindness bracelets and for spreading kindness at Diageo…Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and the world!

One of these is by publishing our latest book Big Karma and Little Kosmo Welcome New Cat Zenni, a story about how Big Karma, a loveable dog, and Little Kosmo, a mischievous cat, welcome Zenni, a newcomer to their home and family.

What better way to celebrate our newest book than to share the joy and excitement with Lush, our partner who made it possible?!

Every weekend in August, we visited Lush locations in the Chicagoland area to do book readings, make Kindness Cards, handmade bath bombs and give out Love and Kindness Buttons and tips for welcoming newcomers at work, at school, in the community and at home. It was so much fun!

Here are some photos so you can see for yourself:

Lush Southport

Lush Woodfield

Lush Orland Park

Lush Naperville

Lush Bucktown

Lush Old Orchard

Thank you to all of our fabu-Lush friends for working so hard to make these events and our partnership a huge success! And a special thank you to Alefiyah Tawawalla, our Foundation Secretary, and Karen Light, Big Karma and Little Kosmo’s illustrator, for coming along to help out!

If you haven’t picked up your copy of Big Karma and Little Kosmo Welcome New Cat Zenni, just click here to order! All proceeds fund The Love and Kindness Project Foundation directly!

As grassroots “kindness raising” organization that focuses on encouraging people to think, speak and act kindly…and do one more act of kindness today than yesterday…we truly appreciate when people and organizations help us spread the word!

If you haven’t already, please join our Facebook group The Kindlies for a free way to be kind each weekday and look around our website for many free ideas about how to practice kindness at work, at home and in the community!

Kindness isn’t (just) for kids! Adults teach kids how to be kind and have the ability and responsibility for creating a better, kinder world! If you and/or your organization would like to do a creative project to encourage kindness, please reach out to me about applying for a micro-grant! We’d love to help you bring you project to life!

A follow-on to our super popular Big Karma and Little Kosmo Help Each Other, this new book is about the importance of welcoming newcomers with open arms, open mind and an open heart!

About a year ago, our fabulous vet suddenly had to rehome his cat, Zenni, because his daughter became seriously allergic! Although we weren’t expecting another pet, we – and our pets Big Karma and Little Kosmo – welcomed Zenni into our home, our family and our hearts!

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, I had been thinking about how important it is to welcome newcomers…whether they are refugees, new team members at work, new kids at school, new family members or new pets! So I decided to write a book about it!

In this new book, available mid-July, you’ll learn how Big Karma and Little Kosmo find out that even though they may seem different at first, a newcomer is simply a friend you haven’t met yet!

Here’s a first look at the cover…I’ll keep you posted on the publishing process and progress!

It’s super exciting and super kind … and helps spread the word about a fabulous fragrance that smells beautiful and supports The Love and Kindness Project Foundation!

KINDNESS in a bottle was crafted by the world’s leading perfume house Givaudan and captures the essence of kindness. It has a heart-shaped bottle design, and is 100% vegan, free of any animal-derived ingredients.

THE HEART COMPANY donates $1 USD for each KINDNESS in a bottle perfume sold to The Love and Kindness Project Foundation. We’re so grateful for THE HEART COMPANY’s support in helping us spread love and kindness around the world.

Thank you to everyone who has helped to make KINDNESS in a bottle a success. By purchasing this perfume, you are helping create a kinder world.

KINDNESS is beautiful!

You can purchase your bottle here!

What did I do the next day? I put up a Kindness House (like a little free library, but instead of books, people can take Love and Kindness Buttons, stickers, tips for easy, free ways to be kind) in my front yard. Two very kind young friends, Patrick and Caitlin, volunteered to came over to help dig the hole, pour the concrete and set the Kindness House! My next door neighbor, Cliff lent us his post digger, a wheelbarrow, and, at the last moment, a level!

Maybe you are thinking, “What’s the point of putting up a Kindness House? It’s not going to solve the problems that are causing people to kill each other…”

Many years ago, I realized something. And that is that there is no one here to solve the world’s problems (big and small), but me and you. We can’t wait for others to act. Each of us needs to act. In ways we can, and in ways that we are passionate about.

Bringing people together to put up a Kindness House, giving out items that teach about kindness, all have a positive effect, and bring people together as a community. It’s what I can do, and so it’s what I am doing.

And today, I’m asking (begging really) for you to take action and do something to promote kindness in your neighborhood, your work, your extended family!

Smile and ask people how they are doing!
Make an effort to check in on someone who is experiencing loneliness or loss
Invite someone over to help you with a task and volunteer to help someone else

We all need to take action and do what we can do. There is no time to waste and the time is now. Our collective kindness can – and will – make a better world for all of us.