Kindness: The Little Thing that Matters Most
Kindness - the little thing that matters most aims to motivate and inspire by showing readers what a difference even a small act of kindness can make.It uses the voices of those who have been helped by the author’s charity – 52 Lives – to ground the ideas in real life action. The book is themed around 52 simple actions you can do to spread kindness. Interspersed throughout are nuggets of science explaining the positive effect kindness has on the brain and on the heart. This book is a call to action for people to live a more connected, fulfilling life. With inspirational quotes and personal stories this book will give you all the motivation you need to start spreading a little kindness – it’s free afterall! Learn to live a life of kindness by following Jaime’s infectious positivity in this charming gift book.Here are some examples:- Be a Seat Vigilante- Be Kind to Unkind People- Go High-Give Away a Minute- Embrace Curiosity
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Thorsons
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published by Thorsons 2017
FIRST EDITION
Text © Jaime Thurston 2017
Illustrations © Debbie Powell 2017
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers 2017
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Jaime Thurston asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
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Source ISBN 9780008252847
Ebook Edition © September 2017 ISBN 9780008252861
Version 2017-08-08
‘This book is incredibly inspirational. A feel-good, call-to-action to be kind!’
–
David R. Hamilton, Ph.D., author and international speaker
‘Kindness is the foundation for a happier world. This wonderful book is packed with inspiring and practical ways that we can all help to spread more ripples of kindness and happiness in our daily lives. Highly recommended.’
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Dr Mark Williamson, director of Action for Happiness
‘To me kindness is giving selflessly. It’s to give with no expectation. A smile, a helping hand, a warm gesture … just because your heart desires to do a good deed for no other reason than to make someone happy. 52 Lives is amazing, selfless and truly wonderful.’
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Gemma Oaten, actor
‘Kindness is overflowing with inspiring messages to help us all remember the importance of being kind. Whether you’re young or old, these are inspiring reminders of how we can make society better for all of us.’
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Bullying UK, part of Family Lives
‘I was always bought up to show loving kindness towards others. To help others, like 52 Lives does, is a selfless act. It doesn’t cost anything to be kind and it can mean so much – a simple smile costs nothing.’
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Duncan James, singer from Blue, actor and presenter
‘In a world divided by terror and fear, I genuinely believe that kindness can bring us together. Jaime and the light she brings to this funny old planet is very much needed.’
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Emily Coxhead, founder of The Happy Newspaper
For my three kind little beating hearts, Abbey, Max and Joseph
And for Greig, my love and the kindest person I know
Contents
8. GIVE A GIFT TO A LOCAL SCHOOL
10. REMEMBER WHERE YOU CAME FROM
13. BE NICE TO PARKING ATTENDANTS
21. CHANGE A LIFE WITH GADGETS
24. MAKE SPECIAL OCCASIONS SPECIAL
David R. Hamilton, Ph.D., author of The Five Side Effects of Kindness
Kindness is the glue that holds society together. It is the essence of beauty. It brings smiles to faces, lightens our burdens, creates friendships, transforms people and situations. It can make a day memorable. It can be the answer to someone’s prayers. This is how I see Jaime Thurston’s work with 52 Lives. It is heart-warming to see how she makes a difference in so many people’s lives.
And I mean heart-warming in two ways. First, in the sense that it makes us feel uplifted and inspired. Second, in that observing or learning about kindness does create a warming sensation in the heart. Kindness produces oxytocin and nitric oxide, two substances that directly affect our arteries, softening them, dilating them, reducing blood pressure, clearing them of free radicals, and increasing blood flow to the heart.
It’s part of what social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, calls ‘elevation’, which we feel when we’re being kind, receiving kindness, or witnessing kindness. This also inspires us to pay kindnesses forward. This in turn sets in motion the well-known ripple effect of kindness, where one act touches many more lives than just the original recipient.
