Shared Blessings

View the Notes & Transcript Here ⬇︎

SUMMARY
What happens to one of us affects all of us, and when the necessities of life become luxuries that not all of us can afford, it is then that we must rise up and stand together, to get by with a little help from our community. Check out this episode of One a Positive Note to learn more.

OFFER
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CONNECT WITH THE SHOW
Email: jonas@hashtagpositivty.com
Website: onapositivenote.com

TIMESTAMPS
00:15 Joke about charity
01:06 Insight about charity
02:00 Positive news story about charity
03:04 Insight about charity
03:40 Reflection questions
03:54 Wrap up

LINKS & REFERENCES
CBS 46. (2020, July 10). “Small town tries to spread kindness in a big way.” Retrieved from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/good-news/small-town-tryies-to-spread-kindness-in-a-big-way/ar-BB16ygFe

HOST
Jonas Cain is a Learning Experience Designer and Facilitator of Fascination for Hashtag Positivity, an educational company that helps emerging leaders and their influencers initiate and manage positive change for personal and professional growth.

MUSIC
“Safety Net” by Riot
“Lightning Bugs” by Geographer
“A Quiet Thought” by Wayne Jones

TAGS
Positivity, Inspiration, Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Capital, Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, SocialSkills, Hope, Efficacy, Resilience, Optimism, On a Positive Note, Positive News Stories, Some Good News, charity, blessings box, love thy neighbor

​Transcript

INTRO
Hi everyone! Jonas Cain here with Hashtag Positivity, and welcome to On a Positive Note, the podcast that offers hope through positive news stories, practical insights, and even a little levity.

JOKE
And on that note it brings us to today’s joke about a man seeking donations for a local family in need. He found himself on the doorstep of a woman known for being charitable and when she answered the door he shared with her their plight:

“Please, miss, can you find it in your heart to help this poor family? The father recently lost his job and the mother has fallen ill. They’re about to be evicted from their apartment and turned out into the cold streets unless someone can pay their rent.”

The woman was heartbroken to hear this sad news and said, “Bless your heart for being their advocate and seeking help for them! Who are they to you? Are you a friend or a family member?”

“No,” he replied, “I’m their landlord.”

INSIGHT
Even though this is just a joke, it does point to the truth. After all, it’s said that a rising tide lifts all boats, but the opposite can also be just as true; that a lowering tide can run all ships aground. As people lose their jobs and business shutter, they become unable to pay their bills, which in turn causes landlords to be unable to pay their own bills, and so the cycle goes on and on.

This is a valuable reminder that what happens to one of us affects all of us, and when the necessities of life become luxuries that not all of us can afford, it is then that we must rise up and stand together, to get by with a little help from our community.

STORY
And on that note it brings us to today’s positive news story coming to us from Lula, Georgia, where a resident named Mandy Stewart has started a passion project called “The Blessing Box” where community members can anonymously donate items such as food, toiletries, and clothing.

We may live in a world of abundance, extravagance, and wealth, but we also live in a world where life necessities have become luxuries that not everyone can afford. Mandy says that she started this initiative because she wanted to find a way to connect resources to those in need.

The box is available 24/7 and anyone can make a donation or take anything out of it at anytime, serving a worthy demonstration of love for the people in the community. In her own words, “It's good to know that people might not know you but they still care. It's good for the heart and it's good for the soul.”

INSIGHT
Mandy’s leadership demonstrates that effective solutions don’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as a box where community members can share their blessings. This initiate also serves as a valuable reminder that what happens to one of us affects all of us, and when the necessities of life become luxuries that not all of us can afford, it is then that we must rise up and stand together, to get by with a little help from our community.

REFLECTION
How might you use Mandy Stewart’s example to rise up and stand together with the people in your community?

WRAP-UP
I hope that you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, and I encourage you to leave a rating and subscribe to the podcast, as that’s truly the best way to let others know about this positive resource.

If you have any comments or stories that you’d like to share with our listeners, you can send an email to me directly at jonas@hashtagpositivity.com. And that email is also listed in the description of today’s episode.

Until next time, my name is Jonas Cain and this has been another episode of On a Positive Note.