Monday, April 14, 2008

Don’t be surprised if someone pays your toll, tips you extra-well, or gives you an unexpected hand with the groceries tomorrow – it’s Michael Chase’s “Day of Kindness,” and he has his sights set on all of Southern Maine.

For 24 hours (Tuesday into Wednesday), Chase, founder of the Biddeford-based Kindness Center, will roam through Portland, Saco, Scarborough, and Biddeford doing nice things for people.

“It’s going to be absolutely crazy,” he said on the phone last week, excitedly anticipating the experiment. “I’m an inspirational type of teacher,” he continued, who wants his students to realize: “When you are living a life of kindness, you simply cannot feel depressed, unhappy. I want it to be contagious.”

Chase likens his teachings to those espoused in The Secret, a 2006 film (and later, a popular book) that suggests we can shape our lives and get what we want using thoughts, energies, and creative visualizations.

He’s already recruited some thoughtful elves to help in tomorrow’s endeavor (I’ll be with him for part of the day too). If you want to be a rogue kindness warrior, or just want some tips on how to make people smile, check out Chase’s 100+ ideas here.  

4/14/2008 3:06:44 PM by Deirdre Fulton | Comments [0] |