It's a Classical Life

I don't know much about Amelia Earhart, other than the obvious, but I imagine that she must have been a warm-hearted person to make such a comment. Before "random acts of kindness" were a cool, social media trend, Earhart was already reflecting on their ability to spread, multiply and subsequently make the world a better place. When someone does something unexpectedly kind for us, it can really make our day! And, in turn, we feel inspired to pass on that feeling through another act of kindness. It does not have to be random. It does not have to be to a stranger. Yesterday, my daughter had an exam and I sent her a little email wishing her good luck and included a gif of a cartoon panda with pom poms. I said we were "cheering her on!" She didn't see it before her exam, but did see it afterwards and replied saying, thanks Mum, you're so sweet! And she was grinning when she came home in the afternoon. It only took me a minute but she returned the act to me a...

  I hope you don't mind but January has taken on a bit of a "self-education" theme here on the blog (II'm not a fan of the word "self-improvement" but I am a big believer that improvement comes through education ). On Saturday I talked about getting moving with Jane Austen (you can see that article here if you're interested) and today I'm shifting to a more mental approach to better living.  I've seen several instances of TikTokers or other social media influencers performing random acts of kindness to strangers on the street, whilst recording it (often without permission), solely to promote how kind they are to their viewers. I really do NOT believe that this is what Carroll is referring to in today's quote. I don't believe that we should act in a way of generosity, kindness or charity to others to big-note ourselves or to seek praise. Nor do I believe that Carroll is saying that we should only think of others at the detriment of our own...