Kindness is not Weakness

Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair, but manifestations of strength and resolution. - Kahlil Gibran

If your strength manifests through being unkind, through being harsh and unwelcoming, through defending your vulnerability with walls of insults and offenses, then you, my friend, are not strong at all. You are a weak victim, shackled on a chain of cruelty that has hijacked your better nature; the best version of you that you can be. You are the quivering shadow behind a stone that hides from the sun as the rest of the world is baked in glowing warmth.

You will not know your true strength until you step into the light and stand against the darkness that once comprised the defense of your being. Only then will you see how weak you once were. 

No One Likes Chain Letters

It's true. Well, perhaps a few people enjoy the chain letter, but few they shall remain. The fact is, chain letters are akin to email spam. While the intentions behind their creation may be well founded, I have never found a chain letter that did not frustrate me with unnecessarily generous spacing of text, cheap graphics and the all too familiar promise of good fortune on the condition that you forward the letter to however many people within a certain time frame to continue the chain. Break the chain and stand to gain nothing.

The popularity of chain letters has definitely peeked and plateaued over the years but there is an interesting similarity between chain letters and the relationship or gratitude and kindness. Through spreading a chain letter, a reward of some sort is almost always promised. Because of this promise, millions of people have and continue to forwarded these electronic nuisances, often times without even reading the content of the letter. Unfortunately, this naivety with emails is synonymous to opening the flood gates to hackers and viruses, but I digress.

The human race is effectively one big chain letter. Of course, we have among us our share of societal viruses, but being grateful for something heightens the propensity to be kind which, in turn, is appreciated by another who is thus more prone to forwarding the kindness that was previously bestowed upon him to another, due to the gratitude felt from having been the recipient of such kindness. See the chain effect?

Thinking of gratitude and kindness as a chain is fantastic because it adds a degree of responsibility to the concepts. For all of our acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude, we are adding a link to the chain that stretches back as far as human history will go. For all of our selfishness, greed, ingratitude and cruelty, we are taking a link away from the chain. What do we, as individuals, want to be responsible for?

Unlike an emailed chain letter, the rewards of kindness and gratitude are real. The world is made better when the chain is continued.

Gratitude and Kindness Will Work for You

Financial planners make their living by making your money work for you, but all financial investments come with a degree of risk. That level of risk can range from a fraction of a percent to high stakes gambles that have the potential to yield enormous returns, but carry odds of a million to one.

We invest for the purpose of gaining, to live comfortably and to ensure our futures. But again, higher returns often come with high risk.

What if we thought of gratitude and kindness as an investment? There are certainly returns to be made on being kind and grateful. The common perception is that for what we put forth, we are eventually met with a ten fold return. While it would be nice to think that people could simply be kind and grateful without expecting anything in return, one can expect that their quality of life is guaranteed to improve upon putting forth a solid investment of kindness and living gratefully, and all without the stress of added risk.

When if comes to your finances, invest wisely. When it comes to kindness and gratitude, invest abundantly.

If Only Kindness Were As Motivating As Revenge

Revenge is one of the most powerful motivators known to the human race. It can be said that when considering the architecture of our human design, there is an aspect, perhaps as small as a single block-molecule, that ignites a desire to exact revenge upon those who commit wrong-doings against us and with whom we share allegiance.

Most of us have the self control to subdue these feelings and forgive. But we can all recall stories of extreme measures of revenge taken by people who become consumed with getting even with those who have wronged them.

As the old saying goes, "two wrongs do not make a right." You may feel as though justice as been served and many cultures do uphold laws that are based on the principle of "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth." But does this really restore balance and harmony in the wake of an offense or does this only leave two people crippled, no better off than they were before any offense was committed?

Now, imagine if kindness were as motivating as revenge. What would the world be like? Considering the passion with which some people commit crimes motivated by revenge, the human race would see an amazing influx of awareness and consideration for the well being of our fellow man based on kindnesses expressed from one person to another and those kindnesses being paid forward in a seemingly ending chain.

Most people absorb kindness and acknowledge that kindness graciously, yet they find little time or motivation to exact a kindness in return or to pay that kindness forward to another. Imagine what the world would be like if we did. It is a shame that we are limited to dreaming of such things.

Patience is Kindness

When we think of what it means to be a responsible person, it is often difficult to fully articulate all that we are responsible for. Understandably, most of us will immediately think of our financial responsibilities or that which allows us to maintain our lives and our family's. We must also consider our emotions in relation to our actions. So many of us fail at being responsible by losing our patience.

Patience is arguably one of the most fragile and least exercised virtues that human beings are capable of exhibiting. As the standard of convenience increases and the human population expands, our collective patience with each other and the world we live in steadily dwindles with every passing year.

One of the leading purposes of Grateful Brand's existence is to encourage the spread of kindness but this encouragement does not stem from a delusional expectation that everyone should drop what they are doing and spread kindness. Reality paints a very different picture.

Patience is a form of kindness. By exercising patience you are letting everyone around you know that there are margins cushioning the projected expectation of perfection, for no one is or can be perfect. 

The following quotes speak of patience and provide insight into ways of thinking that may have previously eluded you.

"Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind."
- Leonardo da Vinci

"Patience with others is Love, Patience with self is Hope, Patience with God is Faith."
- Adel Bestavros

"Patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it's cowardice."
- George Jackson

Hatred vs. Kindness: Some Profound Questions of Faith

Love, compassion and kindness will always win out over hatred. While I do not subscribe to any particular faith, today I am grateful for Rose City Park United Methodist Church for being bold enough to honestly stand for the greater good of humanity, not just their Christian community.

Kindness is kindness, whether you are Atheist or Christian. Hatred is hatred, whether you are Atheist or Christian.

This world is full of self serving individuals who pander hate, intolerance and bigotry as direct messengers from the God in which they believe and serve, but they are wrong. God is not a man in the sky manipulating us as pawns to do his bidding. God is love, compassion and kindness.

God is a Christian, Jew, Muslim etc. who opens his place of worship, his home and his heart to his neighbor without prejudice or judgement. God is an Atheist who is kind, compassionate and loving. An Atheist need not believe in anything to be the best representation of what a divine presence on earth would be, for these qualities are divine in the sense that they are the best of what human beings can be.

Consider this if you will. The predominant faiths of the world promise a better life in heaven if you live your life on Earth as a devout believer. Heaven is a reward that motivates the lives and behaviors of billions of people. If I do 'X', I will get 'Y'.  A kind, compassionate and loving Atheist expects nothing when all is said and done. There is no equation. There is no reward. 

Who is more God-like? What if there were no carrot on a stick dangling just out of reach? Would you still pull the cart?

A Lesson on Gratitude from Your Refrigerator

If you happen to be one of the fortunate people in the world to actually have a refrigerator, you absolutely have something to be grateful for. I would wager that half of the world's population does not. But think for a moment about the contents of your refrigerator and even your freezer. We may stockpile food and beverages once a month with the intent of consuming everything, but for most of us, something inevitably goes uneaten and is left hidden away to spoil in the back, cold and alone.

Everything we put in a refrigerator can spoil or go stale, even water. Now, take this idea and apply it to society; habits, cultural nuances, personalities, relationships, etc. Society is very much like a refrigerator in that lots of things have the potential to spoil or become stale in relation to their environment. For some things, it may take years. For others, mere seconds.

Take negativity for instance. Few people are willing to tolerate excessive negativity for very long because it, in of itself, is such a spoiler.

Do you know what never spoils?

Gratitude!

Kindness and gratitude go hand in hand. Neither, if backed with sincerity, will ever expire in any environment because they serve as the ultimate societal preservative. The human race would out last cock roaches and Hostess Twinkies if we only expressed more appreciation and kindness for our environment and each other. Sadly, we as a species, are not prone to considering the whole of humanity in lieu of our own wants and needs. Selfish, unkind behavior will be the end of us.

For those of you reading, I encourage you to fill your fridge with happiness by expressing gratitude and kindness in bulk.

Italian actor, comedian, screen writer and director, Roberto Benigni, once said, "It's a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation." So, enrich your diet and eat up!

Be kind. Be grateful. 

Be an Invitation

Mark my words ... no one is obligated to be kind to you just because, nor is anyone entitled to kindness being bestowed upon them. Great philosophers and advocates of peace have proposed a noble argument that refutes my claim, suggesting that we should be kind even to our enemies in spite of their behavior against us. I do agree with this approach, but I live in Los Angeles, CA where simply being social can be equated to pulling teeth around strangers who deliberately cling to a self imposed sense of exclusivity that prevents them from being inviting. Please believe me when I say, I am able to identify the difference between being shy and being a closed person.

While we should all strive to take the high road and exude kindness at all times, kindness functions as a two way street. You must be and give kindness to receive and be surrounded by kindness.

In my social venturing, the volume of people I have encountered who behave based on the expectation that kindness will not be the first response to their invitation of friendship is mind boggling. As a result, they become conditioned to needing familiar people around them when they go out or they just avoid being social for fear of being rejected by those who are unfamiliar.

It is a damnable shame that closed people have such unnatural and undeserved influence over the socially harmonious norms of society. The concept of the "Mean Girls" clique is the perfect example that has even been adapted into a feature film, yet this concept is by no means gender specific. Those with beauty, popularity and privilege and many other gender, racial, or common interest groups self segregate themselves from the majority, forming closed social groups. I do not object to a person choosing to only surround themselves with similar, like minded people, but there is no excuse for being unkind to those who differ based on means or appearance, etc.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if these closed off people made a concerted effort to be welcoming? Can you imagine the empowerment, influence and collective good that would permeate the social landscape? It would be amazing; a metaphorical seasoning of culture and kindness on the stew of life. Unfortunately, too many people feel that being closed and unkind is worthier of esteem. 

Believe this: "There is no duty more obligatory than the repayment of kindness." - Cicero

Whatever your experience has been, you will expand your circle of friends and increase the quality of that circle if you exist as an invitation of kindness, believing that in doing so, kindness will be reciprocated. If it is not, then that person has saved you from making a poor choice in who to welcome into your life. As the old adage says, you are a reflection of the company you keep.

Be an invitation of kindness and prepare for your life to be enriched. 

Kindness for Weakness: The Leeches Will Feed if You Let Them

A huge part of expressing gratitude and appreciation for yourself is simply having self respect; setting boundaries that prevent others from exploiting your kind nature. There are huge differences between being available and of service to your friends, family and community and being taken advantage of.

Unfortunately, many people are only made aware of the differences when recovery is no longer feasible, having been sucked dry with little more than a thank you and a satiated hand, waving from the distance.

The world is full of parasites but they are not limited to the organisms found in rivers and jungles. Dictionary.com defines them as:

1. an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment.

2. a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives on the hospitality of others.

Being kind, caring and considerate can absolutely go too far, placing you in the situation where you are reduced from being a helpful, appreciated person to being an expected and easily exploited host for as long as you have resources to provide sustenance.

You must be your own advocate to fully realize the quality of life you want and deserve. Enabling the parasites of the world to feed from your resources, your positive energy, your time and generosity will leave you withered, frail and without.

This is NOT an exchange of gratitude, but an offense to the brilliance of who you are meant to be.

Parasites steal from you, yet get away with their crimes by saying "thank you" or even going so far as to leverage your emotions, yet many hosts are guilty of enabling, which leaves only a melee of accusation and finger pointing.

Be grateful for yourself by washing yourself clean of everything and everyone that takes without giving anything in return.

The balance of life will either help those parasites to evolve in a self sufficient, positive direction or will see them absorbed into an environment where parasites thrive.

I am Afraid of Saying "God"

Grateful Brand was created to encourage universal love, kindness and gratitude, not to endorse nor promote any religion. With that being said, as the creator of this blog, I am deeply inspired by my own personal spirituality and many love promoting figures of various faiths.

As the title of this post may incite, how can one be afraid of saying "God," especially one who claims to be rather in tune with many qualities that God supposedly embodies?

For centuries, men of self proclaimed devout faith have interpreted and enforced the abiding of precise criteria that, according to their interpretations, must be met to be loved in the eyes of God and to receive the affection of their communities.

While I do not approve of how the concept of sin is used to strangle good people into submission, as human beings, sin abounds, yet the degree of consequence for most of these sins is, in reality, quite benign. You need only repent your sin to receive love. Many faiths assert that their followers are loved unconditionally in spite of their sins. But what is one to do when an innate otherness forces them outside the parameters of the criteria of good men and women?

This is my predicament. As a gay man, I have struggled with faith for years. I have even gone through an extended period of not believing simply because atheism or being agnostic made sense. More importantly, not believing made it easy to simultaneously expel the variable of emotion that so often goes hand in hand with faith.

As I have matured, the scope of my beliefs and wants have evolved, which has resulted in me seeking out a belief system and medium for expressing what I feel. Gratitude has become the basis of this belief system and I attend a nondenominational church to express this gratitude to the Universe.

I have become comfortable with saying "the Universe" because the usage of "God" has been manipulated, skewed and bastardized to an alarming degree. Some of the most vehement proponents of Christianity seemingly hold the usage of "God" hostage, exploiting what should be synonymous with love for the purpose of hate. The Westboro Baptist Church and their website, www.godhatesfags.com, is an extreme example. But they are not the catalyst for my struggle with faith.

Friends, family and colleagues, in casual conversation, have all said that the presumed choice of being gay is wrong and a sin in the eyes of God, yet some of the same people have asserted that God created the Universe and everything in it in his image ... and God makes no misstates. So where does this leave me?

In America, I am free to live my life, though there are people who petition and vote for the limitation of my liberties in contrast to heterosexuals. Unfortunately, the world at large is much crueler. There are people whom I will never meet but would justify my death by saying, "it is God's will." This puts things into perspective. I am a good person who avoids uncomfortable conversation about faith for fear of rejection. Imagine being a good person but being subjected to the death penalty for falling in love.

I say, "the Universe," because no one will object to my open sexuality in association, and therefore I feel safe. My belief system is neutral and thus, I am comfortable. Conversations regarding my belief in the infinite power and possibility enveloped in the Universe never result in me defending myself nor being shamed or demeaned.

This neutrality also allows me to affirm and celebrate who I am. In 1855, the excentric poet, Walt Whitman, penned his most famous work, Song of Myself, in his book, Leaves of Grass. The first stanza of this poem reads, "I celebrate myself." I literally wear this quote as you will notice.

Being able to affirm ones sense of self worth and feeling balanced in mind, body and spirit is a wonderful sensation. But in spite of my affirmation, I am gripped by a lingering fear that pauses my confidence when wanting to live fully and boldly as a good person who wants to believe in God. Because of this fear, I have relegated myself to the Universe. Some might argue that they are one in the same but in my psyche, I have become accustomed to an alternative as a result of mankind stripping away my equality; denouncing my otherness as a flaw.

Recently, I was moved by the compassionate words of a brilliant man who was bold enough to voice the confidence I wish I had regarding his conviction. With ease and eloquence, Jordan Bach--writer, blogger, advocate, uncle and all around good guy--championed via Youtube that, "God loves gays." From a personal standpoint, I have wanted to believe and embrace this without ever having a second thought, but it has been so painfully difficult to ignore the hate that many faithful people cling to and use as weapons. Jordan wears an amazing shield. That shield is love.

I first saw Jordan's video on the Huffington Post and I was moved to tears because I knew that even though he and I may never meet and I may never have the opportunity to shake his hand and thank him for his poise and strength directly, I knew that he stood with me in solidarity, and for that I am exceedingly grateful.

You Reap What You Sow: What We Can Learn From Andrew Breitbart

The philosophical law of only being able to keep what you give away has been circulating through socially conscious cultures for centuries, if not millenniums.  The belief serves to maintain a natural order, balance and harmony. It is thought that the more you give away, an equal or greater reward will be bestowed upon you in return, but let us not be so motivated by material reward as we strive to maintain balance and harmony as we pursue success.

Kindness can be a far more valuable currency than any precious metal or printed note. It can sway the coldest heart and soften the most callus fist. If you are unkind, inconsiderate, impatient, or intolerant, you will reap a harvest of the same and perhaps, ultimately, a fate far worse.

This morning news broke of Andrew Breitbart, the famous conservative activist, passing away from natural causes. While I personally disagree with many of his beliefs and stances on a variety of issues, I still respect anyone who stands for what they believe in. Cowardice is a far greater threat to maintaining a harmonious society.

For all his passion, I cannot help but wonder if Andrew had it coming. Forget his political affiliation or his beliefs for a moment. Those are off the table for this argument. I am viewing him as just a man.

If you peruse any of Andrews writings or have ever heard him speak, he seemed unwaveringly angry with that which he opposed.

Friends and associates attest to his confrontational nature. His attorney referred to him as a "happy warrior." Former Texas Governor and Presidential candidate, Rick Perry, tweeted, "RIP 'O Mighty Warrior!" News personality, Tucker Carlson, remembered him by saying, "he thrived on the brawling." Jonah Goldberg, founding editor of the National Review Online, said that "One of his favorite pastimes was to retweet all of the hate that people threw at him, because he considered it a badge of honor. It was his Wheaties."

Wearing hate as a badge of honor? A warrior of politics? Perhaps, to some, he lived and died honorably, but there is a part of me that feels this man did not have to die at the young age of 43.

Being angry, spewing hate and defamation and wishing for the demise of those you oppose because of their political leanings or social stances will reap a dismal harvest. I imagine the degree of stress his body was under must have been tremendous. The sheer tension of being so highly strung, ready to confront and dismantle his sworn political enemies when ever presented the opportunity alone, must have left him physically battered. A heart, meant for love and compassion, can only take so much.

Andrew Breitbart should still be here, but the stresses and evils of politics have taken him from his family and from this earth. Perhaps he died in the thralls of what he loved most, but that does not change that fact that today, he is dead.

You reap what you sow. Nature will ultimately prevent a negative seed from taking root and spreading. In the game of politics, anger and hate are not necessary tools for executing a point nor championing a cause. They are shameful byproducts of the weaknesses of men.

Regardless of your political affiliation or social beliefs, do not be so consumed by disagreement that life and love come second.

Andrew was a man, first and foremost, with immeasurable potential and influence. Now he is gone.

May he truly rest in peace. 

Special thanks to Dylan Stableford of YAHOO! News and The Cutline: Andrew Breitbart Dead: Outspoken Conservative was 43

May "The Force" Be With You

This is NASA's latest image of the Blue Marble, better known as Earth. Considering how many thousands of miles away the telescope that took this beautiful image must have been in relation to its incredible detail, I find it easy to lose five to ten minutes at a time staring. Just think of how small and insignificant we are to the size and life span of our planet. Our existence will be but a blink when all is said and done. Consider how small Earth is in relation to our solar system, the Universe, and what ever may be beyond that. It's all so fascinating yet mind boggling at the same time.

Consider now the invisible forces that make it all possible: gravity, magnetism, perhaps even other forces we have yet to discover. 

I'm no physicist or astronomer, but I do think it's incredible that the Universe and its contents are pushed and pulled, spun, expanded and contracted all due to forces that we cannot see, but that we know exist.

Think, now, of love, compassion, kindness and gratitude. Is it too far fetched to think of these as "forces," pushing and pulling, spinning, expanding and contracting the human race and how we treat one another? Like magnetism, for every positive there must also be a negative such as hate or intolerance.

Call me a nerd if you must, but I like the idea of wielding a special power, the fantasy of "The Force." The difference between me and Yoda though, is that I don't need a light saber or a laser gun and I have no intention of fighting any epic battles.

All I have is love, compassion, kindness and gratitude: my arsenal for combating all the negativity that wants to rain down on me and those I care about. You'd be amazed at how powerful you can feel when you're able to stand unwaveringly firm in the face of negativity if you believe in the power you have within you to defeat it. 

Think of Gandhi for instance. Surely he would find this hypothesis of force very appealing, if he hadn't already thought of it himself.

Trust in Gratitude, Trust in Kindness

You must train your intuition -- you must trust the small voice inside you which tells you exactly what to say, what to decide.
 - Ingrid Bergman

Our world is a tough place to live in. Growing up, many of us are encouraged to pursue our goals and dreams but as adults we are often relegated to surviving week to week, pay check to pay check. Balancing the struggles of life in an often unkind environment only spurs people to heighten their defenses and mind their own business. Interactions between people are becoming increasingly terse and once tight knit communities now only know each other in passing. Yelling for help in some neighborhoods today would sadly be pointless as your cries would go unanswered.

In line with the Karmic beliefs of Hinduism and Buddhism, I believe that the energy you put forth into the world will be met with an equivalent, if not greater, energy in return.

Being defensive and unkind is guaranteed to be met with defensiveness and unkindness. Unfortunately, few people operate with the mindset of combating such negativity with kindness. To gain advantage, one offense is met with another offense until one person can lay claim to being the most offensive and thus, dominant, or one simply realizes that such engagements are fruitless and concedes.

Through being unkind and defensive we are inviting conflict into our lives. You can trust that this will be what you encounter if you live so negatively. This perpetual expectation of impeding conflict leaves you prepared, defensive, knowing that how fervently you believe in your ability to conquer external negativity is hinged upon how negative you can become. Many petty arguments have unnecessarily resulted in someone's death, and for what? To prove dominance and a greater ability to survive.

Trust that this is what being unkind and defensive will ultimately bring you.

Trusting in the benefits of kindness and gratitude is much harder. In many social settings being kind is viewed as a sign of weakness but this is not true.

Sometimes it takes tremendous courage and strength to be kind and grateful in the face of negativity but the balance of the Universe will reward your kindness and gratitude if you trust your actions.

It is easy to succumb to negativity when the world around you is negative, but the consequence of such social weakness can be irreversibly detrimental.

Amidst a sea of negativity, trust that being kind and grateful will see you through. You will be challenged again and again, but the reward for remaining steadfast is worth far more than not. 

The Importance of Attitude

Attitude is the fulcrum upon which lasting success and happiness are leveraged. Kindness and gratitude are universally appreciated thus making a positive attitude rooted in these virtues exceptionally beneficial to any individual but also to those within your proximity.

This passage from Charles Swindoll has been inspiring me and reminding me of the importance of a positive attitude since I was very young. I am grateful for his words and do my best to live by them every day. I hope they do the same for you.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skills. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."

A Letter For You: January

To my readers, my community, friends, family, the world and our Universe -

I honestly don't have the words to express how grateful I am for the inspiration you have given me. Looking back over the course of this month and especially back to Well Wishes For a New Year, there were times when I felt the goal of producing a daily blog post was too much. January has proven those thoughts very wrong as I have been inspired again and again, at exactly the right times and have repeatedly found myself in exactly the right places. It is very humbling to feel that Grateful Brand is steadily earning a sense of belonging and the opportunity to evolve while inspiring more and more people along the way.  

To continue this evolution I want to share more of you. My stories, experiences and thought processes are limited upon considering that there's a world beyond my home, Los Angeles. So, I am asking you to share your thoughts with me. Share your stories. Tell me what's happening in your state or in your country that you are grateful for. Whether you're a poet, a photographer, film maker or song writer; it does not matter. If you are grateful for something, please share your perspective. I certainly look forward to your contributions enriching Grateful Brand.

This experience thus far has been one of the most fulfilling of my entire life and as we head into February, I hope the wealth of inspiration continues to flood my senses and GratefulBrand@gmail.com.

Here's to another happy and healthy month of kindness and gratitude.

Much love,

Dane

Grateful Brand
gratefulbrand@gmail.com

I Challenge You...

Carpe Diem!

Most people recognize this Latin phrase from famed poet, Horace. It translates to 'Seize the day.'  Though small, it is a very powerful motivator which is why I, like so many before me, have pondered its meaning and influence.

I want you to consider another phrase:

Quisque sed Diem!

In English this translates to 'earn the day.' This particular Latin phrase doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easily but the meaning is just as powerful.

'Seize the day' is a very singularly limiting command. It is instructing you to go forth and conquer, to overcome obstacles, to achieve your goals and so forth. 'Earn the day' opens the door to a broader spectrum of possibility and the involvement of other people in your quest to earn.

There are an endless number of ways in which you can set forth to earn the day, but I challenge you and encourage you to challenge others to cast your sails on a mission of kindness. Put a little extra effort into the kindness you already exude and perhaps even go out of your way to help someone else today and throughout this week.

In doing so, you are not just helping someone, you are helping yourself and the world by facilitating the energy of kindness and gratitude. This positive energy will reverberate through you, those you help and those around you who witness your example. These waves of positivity will not dissipate as long as you continue your mission of kindness. I promise, your efforts will inspire.

Go forth and earn the day!