Kindness and Compassion are Super Powers we can all use.

Below are 6 inspiring stories of kindness and compassion. It's important for Adults and Children alike to see acts of kindness on a regular basis because too often we are exposed to a lot of negativity and violence which can paralyze us into inaction. For those of us who are Empaths these incredible stories are a source of fuel for us, they put the wind in our sails and propel us forward.

Before I get into those stories I'd like to share with you how being Kind to others impacts your mental health.

(1) Research shows that acts of kindness are linked to increased feelings of well-being. Helping others can also improve our support networks and encourage us to be more active. This, in turn, can improve our self-esteem.

(2) Helping others is one of the ways that people create, maintain, and strengthen their social connections. Volunteering and helping others can help us feel a sense of belonging, make new friends, and connect with our communities

(3) Acts of Kindness can  boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism. They may also encourage others to repeat the good deeds they’ve experienced themselves – contributing to a more positive community.

(4) Communities are built on the back of compassion and kindness, without these qualities we regress into a world of indifference and conflict.

1. Scottish Gardeners Make Heroic Rescue from Ukraine

Joe McCarthy, 55, and Gary Taylor, 45 Two Landscape Gardeners from Scotland have rescued three students – one Irish and two Nigerian – who were trapped in the war-torn city of Sumy in the north-east of Ukraine.

“We had guns pointed to our heads, a tank’s sniper pointed at us, our front tires shot at and our van ransacked, but locals helped us and took us to a garage, got us new tires and showed us a back road to Sumy,” McCarthy told the Guardian Newspaper.

McCarthy and Taylor rescued 7 people in the back of their Landscaping Van. The seven included 19-year-old medical student Racheal Diyaolu from County Carlow, two Nigerian students, an elderly Ukrainian couple and a young mother and her son.

The two Scottish men have become heroes at home after putting their own lives at risk by going to Sumy, which is just 40 kilometers from the Russian border and has been out of reach of any international rescue mission. Their dangerous journey came more than a week after all public transport out of Sumy was cancelled, leaving an estimated 1,500 to 1,700 foreign students stranded.

McCarthy said the journey to Sumy, close to Russian-controlled territory, was “mission impossible” but “worth it”.

2. Syrian Refugees get a hero's welcome in Germany

Germany welcomed 1 million Syrian Refugees to its country. In the video below hundreds of refugees arrive in Germany to a hero's welcome. People traveled to train stations and border crossings to cheer and offer food to the new arrivals. Please watch this 1.5 minute video, it's a guaranteed mood booster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD4hoVHck2Y

3. Poland Responds to Ukraine War

Strollers for refugees and their babies fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine were left at the train station in Przemysl, Poland. More than 8 million Ukrainian refugees have now poured into neighboring Poland, most of them women and children. When Polish mothers learned of this, they went to the railway stations and border crossings where the refugees were arriving, and they began dropping off baby strollers with many filled with blankets and baby necessities. Polish citizens have also organized a grass routes movement to help refugees find places to live, organize meals, clothes for children, as well as help find schools for children and work for adults.

4. The Good Bike Project

(Picture above, Ukrainian Ambassador, Gerasko Larysa, and the Dutch Ambassador, Adriaan Palm presenting the 500th bike.)

In 2022, Dublin Man Paul McQuaid refurbishes 1,500 bikes over 8 months to give to Refugees.

“The public reaction has been amazing and I am thankful for all the support,” he said. “Between collecting bikes, repairing them and organizing deliveries all over the country, I have been in here seven days a week for the past five months." McQuaid told the Irish Independent newspaper.

“It’s good for their mental health to be able to get out on a bike for a few hours – a bicycle is no small thing.”

To learn more about his project please click link to The Good Bike Project

5. Elderly Woman Comforts stranger suffering from Drug Abuse and/or Mental Illness.

While riding the sky train in Vancouver, Canada, Ehah Taha saw an elderly woman lovingly comfort a tall man who was shouting and yelling.

"I saw the most incredible display of humanity on the sky train. A six foot five man suffering from drug abuse and/or mental health issues was being very aggressive on the bus with erratic movements, cursing, shouting, etc. While everyone was scared, this one seventy year old woman reached out her hand, tightly gripping his hand until he calmed down, sat down silently, with eventual tears in his eyes. I spoke to the woman after this incident and she simply said, "I'm a mother and he needed someone to touch." And she started to cry. Don't fear or judge the stranger on the bus: life does not provide equal welfare for all its residents".

(Quote taken from Ehah Taha's Social Media post)

6. Man Travels the world relying solely on the kindness of strangers

If you ever find yourself doubting the state of humanity, please watch this docuseries called The Kindness Diaries. Adventurer Leon Logothetis hops on a vintage motorbike for a 25,000-mile trip around the world with no money, food, gas or place to stay. He puts his fate in the hands of strangers and rewards those who show tremendous kindness with life-changing gifts. Trailer for Season 1

It seems like the greatest assistance Leon found on his travels came from those who had the least to give.

I wrote to Leon a few years ago to let him know how much I enjoyed his docuseries (He's made 2 seasons of the kindness Diaries) in return, he offered up a copy of his book for the kind words.

Watching the series with your children will show them the good in humanity and inspire them to be kind to others.

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Thank you for reading. I hope these stories give you a little inspiration to add acts of compassion and kindness into your weekly routine. If you see something that inspires you in relation to Compassion or acts of Kindness I'd love if you could share it with me.

Thanks so much!

Written by David Fallon, Founder of themindfulparent.me