Kindness Makes You Feel Good

Life fully loved
16 January 2022

This article is also available in the following formats:

Audio Listen Now
Video Watch the video

Random Acts of Kindness

I opened my front door to run errands and found a floral bouquet in my mailbox. As I pulled it out, I found Jujubes and a card as well. What a juicy surprise! The card said,

I popped by today / but I couldn’t stay / I hope these brighten your day!

I didn’t see a name on it indicating the sender. Hmmm, who doesn’t love a little sleuthing while eating Jujubes?

Photo by Chaewon Lee on Unsplash

The handwriting was clearly female so I reached out to Friend #1 and asked her, “Did you drop off flowers and Jujubes to my house?” Nope, came the reply. I tried Friend #2. Identical response. Same with Friend #3. Now I was stumped. I paused my Jujube fest to do those errands and let it go for a while.

Photo of the "kindness card" I received my friend

Later that evening, it came to me when I stopped thinking about it – and isn’t that a lesson we need more often?

Solutions present themselves when we let go of controlling the narrative.

The surprise was from a dear friend who lives out of town. It never crossed my mind it could be her because it meant she was in Toronto, thought of me, and took the extra step of giving me a little “pick-me-up” before she travelled home.

She made my day. I felt acknowledged and cared for. As I spoke with the other friends, I heard comments like, “I wish it was me [who gave you the flowers and Jujubes]” and “Sadly not me.” I thought to myself, what a simple act of kindness and what joy it brought me. I wanted to spread this love to others.

Paying it Forward

The next day I did so. I gathered a basket of goodies – of course it included chicken soup – and dropped it off at a friend’s house who felt a bit under the weather. She was thrilled with the “nurturing” (her words).

Photo by Oleg Illarionov on Unsplash

You have to be open minded in order to grow. The coaching that Laura gave me opened my eyes to what and how I was doing things and allowed me to see the bigger picture. I am not done yet but I already see the changes in my everyday life.
MM

I think coaching is a great way to help you clear your mind when you get stuck with overwhelming situations or when stepping into changes in your life.
MO

Coaching is life changing. It pushes you outside your comfort zone and challenges your perspectives. It is highly motivating and the exercises and techniques used are both fun and informative. I think the main benefits of coaching are to see yourself, others and the world more clearly. I think coaching is valuable to anyone regardless of where you are in your life or career.
LE

I honestly never thought I’d need a coach. I thought coaching was for CEOs and industry VIPs. I didn’t think it was for the “little guys” (i.e. me). Now, I’m of the belief that everyone – yes, EVERYONE – needs a coach. Coaching has really benefitted me and I’m so grateful to have had that time with Laura. It’s changed my life!
VB

Laura is very patient. She took the time to understand what was causing me to be stuck where I am today and help me build a better vision so I can continue to grow.
MM

I think Laura’s coaching was what I had been waiting for. Laura was so approachable, kind, and open. Her willingness to help and support made a difference for me. I found in her coaching new strategies, ideas, and perspectives that I could incorporate into my goals and objectives that I didn’t see before.
MO

Laura is an incredibly intuitive, positive and caring coach. Her techniques helped me recognize both my strengths and areas I might want to explore as I embark on the next chapter of my career. The exercises she employed were instrumental in providing self perspective and challenging my frames of reference.
LE

Laura is a natural coach. Her probing and compassionate questions helped me learn about myself: my value system, interests, goals and strengths.
LM

Coaching sessions with Laura gave me new perspectives on how to process specific feelings and situations in life. She showed me how to sit with my emotions, acknowledge them, and then use visualization strategies to move through them. I now feel more confident and in control of how I choose to walk through life.
CP

From the beginning, Laura put me at ease, creating a safe, open space for me to talk and share freely without fear of judgement. I loved the variety of approaches she used depending on the topic we were working on and it was fun being able to try out things I wouldn’t have considered before! With Laura’s coaching, I substantially grew my confidence in the workplace, overcame fears, dealt with issues I’d been carrying around for many years and, most importantly, learned to value myself and define a path forward into the future.
AG

Laura’s coaching was a breath of fresh air and EXACTLY what I needed at that point of my life. I didn’t realize how impactful coaching was going to be, but by the end of the sessions together, I left feeling refreshed, inspired and genuinely curious about what my future held for me. Because of Laura and her coaching, I believe I became a better person – someone who is more open-minded, someone with a clearer focus, and someone who is willing to explore opportunities and possibilities far more than I ever did before.
VB

I engaged Laura for coaching as I took on an expanded role leading an asset management company in Canada. As a female, I knew I would be a role model and had high expectations of myself. I was feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

In our first few coaching sessions we worked through exercises that allowed me to reflect on my purpose, leadership style and what mattered most to me. I continue to be grounded by the clarity I achieve in my coaching sessions – allowing me to be resilient and confident when challenges came my way.
OS