Tag Archives: self-improvement

Kindness Really Does Matter

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You’ve probably been preached to many times in your life about the importance of kindness. Maybe even to the point where you don’t really think about it– the generic phrases and lectures just go in one ear and out the other. But I can’t stress enough about how kindness can not only change the lives of others, but just the act of being kind can change your own life as well.  

The Power of Kindness

Kindness has remarkable effects on both the giver and the receiver. Studies have shown that just small acts of kindness can decrease stress levels and boost feelings of happiness. This is because kindness requires you to take the spotlight off of yourself and instead think about others. When you do this, you are able to let go of the thoughts that bring you stress and anxiety, and in addition you gain a sense of fulfillment. When you are kind, you are automatically enriching your own life while also helping someone else feel that way too. 

Kindness Habits 

Whether it’s a compliment, an act of service, or even just simply listening to someone carefully, there are so many ways to incorporate kindness into your daily life. One challenge that can be super helpful is to practice kindness daily. You can set a goal to perform at least one act of kindness each day for a month straight. Keep track of these moments in a journal so you follow the goal accordingly, and then see how you progress over that month! I guarantee that your moods and thoughts will change in the most positive way possible. 

It’s important to remember that you can make a big difference by simply being kind. No matter how small they may be, your actions can transform your own life and the lives of others around you. Kindness is an important step towards living an authentic and valuable life.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

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Newport Local News Under Cover Book Club: "The Rent ...The Rent Collector by Camron Wright is an incredible book about the power of literacy and hope in desperate situations. The story is centered around Sang Ly and her family, who live in the biggest municipal waste dump in all of Cambodia and pick trash for a living. Her young son is very ill- she has spent years trying every medicine she can find, but nothing has helped. Sang Ly rents her home from Sopeap Sin, an irritable drunk known as “The Cow” to the residents of the dump. 

But Sopeap knows something that the residents don’t. She knows how to read and write. Sang Ly, desperate to change her family’s circumstances, goes to Sopeap and begs her to teach her how to read and write. But soon, Sang Ly doesn’t only want to read and write- she wants to learn about literature. And what she finds in literature changes her life forever.

This book was absolutely amazing, especially considering that it was based on a real story. It was fascinating, gaining an insight into how, even in a dump, a sense of community, and love abounds. The novel itself is an incredible insight into the power of education, especially literature, which is something that many of us take for granted in our day-to-day lives. The novel also explores how some concepts are universal in literature, like love, luck, and happiness- common threads that tie all literature of the world together. The author did an amazing job of showing the kindness and humanity that are present even in the most adverse of circumstances.

I would give this book a 9.5 out of 10. Although it became a bit bland in places, it was absolutely a life-changing book about knowledge and compassion.

-Vaidehi B.

The Rent Collector by Camron Wright is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.