Sedona Hutton's Blog - Posts Tagged "compassion"
Small Acts of Compassion
Have you ever contemplated the impact you make on the world?
That is a key theme in one of my favorite movies, It’s a Wonderful Life. I love watching Clarence, an angel desperately trying to earn his wings, show down-and-out George Bailey the impact to the community and to his loved ones had he never been born.
The effect we make is more impactful than most of us imagine. Mother Teresa states this eloquently: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to cause many ripples.”
This ripple effect is touched upon in Cloud Whispers when Katie wonders how she can make a difference through her seemingly normal life. Below is an excerpt of Katie discussing this topic with her spirit guides:
“Cause and effect on an individual level triggers downstream cause and effect,” Black Eagle said. “Every action causes an infinite number of reactions and each becomes a thread in the tapestry of the universe.”
As Katie contemplated, Black Eagle drew a viewing square. She lifted her head to look at the screen, surprised to see scenes from her own life. The little girl whose name she’d drawn from the Angel Tree, and that girl’s joyful Christmas morning as she opened her stocking and the gifts Katie had purchased.
Black Eagle touched a finger to the screen and it froze on a clip of the girl’s parents. “Your gift not only touched Julia, but her parents, Jack and Ellen, too,” Black Eagle said. Katie leaned in to get a closer look at them. Both were smiling. Ellen’s hand rested on Jack’s arm as he gazed up at her with caring eyes. “Julia’s parents had both been laid off from their jobs. They had been stressed about Christmas and fighting regularly.” He tipped his head toward the screen. “That Christmas gave Ellen and Jack some much needed peace, joy, and hope. Jack found a job the week after Christmas, and Ellen, two months later. As Julia grew, her parents taught her the importance of giving back.” Black Eagle made a fist. When he opened it, a small river stone sat on the palm of his hand. “Good deeds are like skipping pebbles in a pond. It’s not just the single ripple that is affected, but the multiple rings radiating outward, bumping into one another and intersecting, all a part of the downstream impacts from that one small pebble.”
Katie gaped at Black Eagle in amazement. She’d never thought of it like that or considered the many ripples that occurred from a simple benevolent act.
Black Eagle’s smile expanded. “We’re just getting started.” He waved a hand in front of the screen and new clips streamed. Ellen and Jack selecting names from an Angel Tree, and as Julia got older, her participation in the Christmas giving. A homeless man Katie had given money to used the money to buy a warm meal. While dining, the man met the restaurant’s owner who hired him on the spot and helped him get back on his feet. Katie’s heart tugged watching the formerly homeless man reunite with his adult son.
The next scene showed the son visiting an older woman. Posie tapped the screen and Katie studied the clip of him hugging a woman with the same robin-blue eyes. “Not only did Donnie’s dad get his life back on track, but Donnie progressed as well,” Posie said. “He had blamed his mother for his father’s situation, and for many years, Donnie had been estranged from both of his parents. Through his father’s growth, Donnie put aside his past hostilities and fostered new relationships with his father and his mother.”
The episodes of Katie’s life flew by like images on a movie screen. A kind word, a smile, a helping hand. Gifts, large and small, material and intangible, all influencing lives. Examples continued to stream, one after the other depicting cause and effect and the countless succeeding impacts. Katie watched as Donnie’s young children met their grandpa, and later their grandma, for the very first time. She saw Julia, the young girl from the Angel tree, go to college and becoming a teacher. An amazing, extraordinary teacher who worked in a Title 1 school. Over the years, Julia touched the lives of hundreds of low-income students. Observing the downstream impacts in each of those children’s lives, and the lives they subsequently touched, was nothing short of mind-boggling. One saved lives after a boating accident. Another became a doctor, also saving lives. But what really struck Katie was the impact from those who led seemingly ordinary lives. Their simple, day-to-day acts—a smile, words of encouragement, a kind gesture—in turn caused another positive action which like ripples in the pond, caused another and then another, until they all merged into bigger turning points in the lives of the recipients. That was how little ‘ol her could make a difference. Perhaps it wasn’t the grand gestures, but instead, the small acts of compassion that made the greatest impact in people’s lives, and thus generated the greatest contribution to the collective.
If you like headstrong heroines, heartwarming stories of family and forgiveness, and new age concepts, then you’ll love Cloud Whispers. To purchase, click here: https://goo.gl/N9aC38.
To sign up for Sedona Hutton blogs, click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/
and scroll down to the newsletter section.
That is a key theme in one of my favorite movies, It’s a Wonderful Life. I love watching Clarence, an angel desperately trying to earn his wings, show down-and-out George Bailey the impact to the community and to his loved ones had he never been born.
The effect we make is more impactful than most of us imagine. Mother Teresa states this eloquently: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to cause many ripples.”
This ripple effect is touched upon in Cloud Whispers when Katie wonders how she can make a difference through her seemingly normal life. Below is an excerpt of Katie discussing this topic with her spirit guides:
“Cause and effect on an individual level triggers downstream cause and effect,” Black Eagle said. “Every action causes an infinite number of reactions and each becomes a thread in the tapestry of the universe.”
As Katie contemplated, Black Eagle drew a viewing square. She lifted her head to look at the screen, surprised to see scenes from her own life. The little girl whose name she’d drawn from the Angel Tree, and that girl’s joyful Christmas morning as she opened her stocking and the gifts Katie had purchased.
Black Eagle touched a finger to the screen and it froze on a clip of the girl’s parents. “Your gift not only touched Julia, but her parents, Jack and Ellen, too,” Black Eagle said. Katie leaned in to get a closer look at them. Both were smiling. Ellen’s hand rested on Jack’s arm as he gazed up at her with caring eyes. “Julia’s parents had both been laid off from their jobs. They had been stressed about Christmas and fighting regularly.” He tipped his head toward the screen. “That Christmas gave Ellen and Jack some much needed peace, joy, and hope. Jack found a job the week after Christmas, and Ellen, two months later. As Julia grew, her parents taught her the importance of giving back.” Black Eagle made a fist. When he opened it, a small river stone sat on the palm of his hand. “Good deeds are like skipping pebbles in a pond. It’s not just the single ripple that is affected, but the multiple rings radiating outward, bumping into one another and intersecting, all a part of the downstream impacts from that one small pebble.”
Katie gaped at Black Eagle in amazement. She’d never thought of it like that or considered the many ripples that occurred from a simple benevolent act.
Black Eagle’s smile expanded. “We’re just getting started.” He waved a hand in front of the screen and new clips streamed. Ellen and Jack selecting names from an Angel Tree, and as Julia got older, her participation in the Christmas giving. A homeless man Katie had given money to used the money to buy a warm meal. While dining, the man met the restaurant’s owner who hired him on the spot and helped him get back on his feet. Katie’s heart tugged watching the formerly homeless man reunite with his adult son.
The next scene showed the son visiting an older woman. Posie tapped the screen and Katie studied the clip of him hugging a woman with the same robin-blue eyes. “Not only did Donnie’s dad get his life back on track, but Donnie progressed as well,” Posie said. “He had blamed his mother for his father’s situation, and for many years, Donnie had been estranged from both of his parents. Through his father’s growth, Donnie put aside his past hostilities and fostered new relationships with his father and his mother.”
The episodes of Katie’s life flew by like images on a movie screen. A kind word, a smile, a helping hand. Gifts, large and small, material and intangible, all influencing lives. Examples continued to stream, one after the other depicting cause and effect and the countless succeeding impacts. Katie watched as Donnie’s young children met their grandpa, and later their grandma, for the very first time. She saw Julia, the young girl from the Angel tree, go to college and becoming a teacher. An amazing, extraordinary teacher who worked in a Title 1 school. Over the years, Julia touched the lives of hundreds of low-income students. Observing the downstream impacts in each of those children’s lives, and the lives they subsequently touched, was nothing short of mind-boggling. One saved lives after a boating accident. Another became a doctor, also saving lives. But what really struck Katie was the impact from those who led seemingly ordinary lives. Their simple, day-to-day acts—a smile, words of encouragement, a kind gesture—in turn caused another positive action which like ripples in the pond, caused another and then another, until they all merged into bigger turning points in the lives of the recipients. That was how little ‘ol her could make a difference. Perhaps it wasn’t the grand gestures, but instead, the small acts of compassion that made the greatest impact in people’s lives, and thus generated the greatest contribution to the collective.
If you like headstrong heroines, heartwarming stories of family and forgiveness, and new age concepts, then you’ll love Cloud Whispers. To purchase, click here: https://goo.gl/N9aC38.
To sign up for Sedona Hutton blogs, click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/
and scroll down to the newsletter section.
Holiday Unity
There is great religious and thought diversity in our country with nearly thirty different holidays celebrated between November 1 and January 15. Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanza, Diwali, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, and many others.
While the nightly news highlights the issues caused by this diversity, there is also much compassion and kindness shared between those with different beliefs. Food served to the homeless, an Angel Christmas tree, an encouraging word, a smile, a hug…people helping people across religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation and a multitude of other differences.
At our core, we’re all the same. We have the same basic desires—peace, love, joy, and compassion. Maybe even more important, we’re all connected. Genetic studies have shown that everyone on Earth is related to everyone else if we go back a few thousand years.
Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit greeting that means, “the Spirit in me connects with the Spirit in you.” What a beautiful way to greet others and to acknowledge and honor our connectedness!
What if we focused on this connection instead of our divisions? What if we looked for the good in others instead of fixating on our differences? Focusing on the positive creates peace within and in the collective consciousness. Imagine what our world would look like without judgment, without an ‘us’ versus ‘them’, without hate.
During this holiday season, let’s celebrate our unity. Let’s spread holiday cheer by practicing non-judgment, compassion, kindness, and acceptance. One by one, we can create peace within and be the change we want to see in the world.
Wishing each of you a Happy Holiday in whatever way you celebrate it and a New Year filled with peace, love, and connectedness.
Namaste!
While the nightly news highlights the issues caused by this diversity, there is also much compassion and kindness shared between those with different beliefs. Food served to the homeless, an Angel Christmas tree, an encouraging word, a smile, a hug…people helping people across religion, race, nationality, sexual orientation and a multitude of other differences.
At our core, we’re all the same. We have the same basic desires—peace, love, joy, and compassion. Maybe even more important, we’re all connected. Genetic studies have shown that everyone on Earth is related to everyone else if we go back a few thousand years.
Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit greeting that means, “the Spirit in me connects with the Spirit in you.” What a beautiful way to greet others and to acknowledge and honor our connectedness!
What if we focused on this connection instead of our divisions? What if we looked for the good in others instead of fixating on our differences? Focusing on the positive creates peace within and in the collective consciousness. Imagine what our world would look like without judgment, without an ‘us’ versus ‘them’, without hate.
During this holiday season, let’s celebrate our unity. Let’s spread holiday cheer by practicing non-judgment, compassion, kindness, and acceptance. One by one, we can create peace within and be the change we want to see in the world.
Wishing each of you a Happy Holiday in whatever way you celebrate it and a New Year filled with peace, love, and connectedness.
Namaste!
Kindness is a Choice (Nora’s Promise FREE on Kindle thru 9/5!)
**Special note: Nora’s Promise is available for FREE on Kindle, now through 9/5!**
In my contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, Steph tells Nora “Kindness is a Choice.”
Like Steph, I believe kindness is a choice that we make in each moment. Sometimes it’s easy to be kind; other times, not so much! When people around you aren’t kind and/or when you ingest a steady stream of negativity, it can be a real challenge.
If you focus on the news, the world is all doom and gloom. We’re a country divided and a people full of anger and hatred. But if you look beyond the television to your friends, neighbors, and community, you’ll find a growing trend of kindness and compassion.
Choosing kindness requires presence, intention, and a connection with your true self, but it’s worth the effort. Your act of kindness, however big or small, has wide-reaching impacts. It can make the difference in another person’s day, week….or even in their life. “Constant kindness can accomplish so much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”—Albert Schweitzer.
Today, I invite you to join me in choosing kindness—Offer a smile, a hug, a kind word, forgiveness, an unexpected visit, a small gift—the list of opportunities is endless. Your single act of compassion can make all the difference!
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to cause many ripples.”—Mother Teresa.
This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality.
Nora’s Promise, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—She trusts animals more than men. He races through women like checkered flags. Can one orphaned boy bring them both to the finish line? https://amzn.to/2OktquX
The Perfect Lap, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv
Cloud Whispers, A Women’s Fiction Novel of Family and Forgiveness—The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate…A mind-expanding, award-winning novel: https://goo.gl/N9aC38
To sign up for Sedona Hutton’s Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/
Recommended Reading:
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: https://amzn.to/2GwSGJc
The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2
The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desireby Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k
Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.
In my contemporary romance, Nora’s Promise, Steph tells Nora “Kindness is a Choice.”
Like Steph, I believe kindness is a choice that we make in each moment. Sometimes it’s easy to be kind; other times, not so much! When people around you aren’t kind and/or when you ingest a steady stream of negativity, it can be a real challenge.
If you focus on the news, the world is all doom and gloom. We’re a country divided and a people full of anger and hatred. But if you look beyond the television to your friends, neighbors, and community, you’ll find a growing trend of kindness and compassion.
Choosing kindness requires presence, intention, and a connection with your true self, but it’s worth the effort. Your act of kindness, however big or small, has wide-reaching impacts. It can make the difference in another person’s day, week….or even in their life. “Constant kindness can accomplish so much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”—Albert Schweitzer.
Today, I invite you to join me in choosing kindness—Offer a smile, a hug, a kind word, forgiveness, an unexpected visit, a small gift—the list of opportunities is endless. Your single act of compassion can make all the difference!
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to cause many ripples.”—Mother Teresa.
This blog was written by Sedona Hutton, author of romance and women’s fiction blended with new age spirituality.
Nora’s Promise, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—She trusts animals more than men. He races through women like checkered flags. Can one orphaned boy bring them both to the finish line? https://amzn.to/2OktquX
The Perfect Lap, A Racing Hearts in Serenity Romance—His job is to drive fast. Hers is to put the brakes on him. When sparks fly, will love cross the finish line? https://amzn.to/2VkXIkv
Cloud Whispers, A Women’s Fiction Novel of Family and Forgiveness—The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate…A mind-expanding, award-winning novel: https://goo.gl/N9aC38
To sign up for Sedona Hutton’s Peace, Love, & Joy blog newsletter, please click here: https://www.sedonahutton.com/
Recommended Reading:
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne: https://amzn.to/2GwSGJc
The Ten Commitments by Dr. David Simon: https://amzn.to/2UEH0J2
The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desireby Deepak Chopra: https://amzn.to/2C9BF5k
Disclosure: The above links to recommended books are affiliate links. If you buy the book through these links, I receive a small commission on the sale. I’ve recommended these books because they’ve been meaningful to me personally and not because of the affiliate program. However, from a legal perspective, I need to identify these as affiliate links.
